For the Race  Prime Protector
by LittleMewLugia
Summary: A story taking the premise of the story "For the Race" and marrying it with Phoenix13's "Male Is as Male Does". Sam becomes a femme, and suddenly finds Optimus has a vested interest in him. From a bunny suggested by Lady Threarah.WARNING: Dubious consent.
1. Chapter 1

For the Race-Prime Protector. 

Chapter One.

EDIT: Rating: M for sexual content and some violence in Chapter Two

A/N: This is not a sequel to "For The Race. This is a version of the "For The Race" story with the addition of an idea of Phoenix13's, this addition itself suggested by Lady Threarah. Phoenix13's idea is used in her story "Male is as male does." To enjoy this story fully, you should have read "For The Race" and I strongly advise reading at least a few chapters of "Male is as male does." The premise is the same as in "for The Race" but with different circumstances.

For The Race-Prime Protector.

Although he was a robotic lifeform, and thus it should have been impossible, Ratchet had, at least theoretically, a headache.

Nobody was quite sure why the AllSpark, (which, it seemed, had been hiding its energy inside Sam since the Mission City battle) had chosen that moment to express itself, or how it had chosen to express itself. Even Sam could not explain how or why it had not only turned him into a Cybertronian, but into a femme Cybertronian at that. Ratchet was only too glad that Sam had been so shocked by his transformation from organic male to mechanical femme that he - no, that should now be _she_ – had curled up in a ball and then promptly dropped into recharge. Hopefully, she would be recovered enough by then for Ratchet to talk to her about what had happened, and what it would mean for the only femme on a Base full of mechs – which was not the obvious human assumption.

Mikaela and Bumblebee had been there too, and the two were currently sitting by the recharging femme, talking amongst themselves, since a query about what had happened had been met by Ratchet with an equally frustrated "I don't know yet, give a mech some time to work it out!"

At that moment, Ironhide, who had been present at the event but had left upon seeing the result, came back in with Optimus Prime in tow. Ratchet almost groaned aloud. Considering the role of Primes in relation to the femmes, Ratchet would have preferred that Optimus find out once Ratchet had had a chance to talk things through with Sam first, but judging by the look on Prime's face, that was not going to happen.

"She's recharging, it's been something of a shock for her," he tried to explain as Optimus reached the head of the bed. Optimus raised his head enough to pierce Ratchet with an intent blue gaze that shut the medic up before reaching down to the recharging form and gathering her upper body into his arms as he used one hand to stroke a finger gently down the femme's face.

That one touch to the face was enough to awaken Sam, and she unshuttered her optics, which focused on Optimus' face. She looked confused for a moment, but she seemed to register her position in Optimus' arms just as the Prime stroked one cheek again. Her eyes widened, and she let out an unusual but obviously terrified shriek, and began to struggle violently.

"Hey, let her go, you're scaring her! I know she's the only female of your kind here, but stop mauling her about!" Mikaela shouted at Optimus.

Ratchet readied himself to scoop Mikaela out of danger, for he knew that anybody else talking like that to Optimus about one of his femmes had better be ready to take the consequences, and humans were fragile. However, Optimus neither raised his voice to Mikaela, nor moved to touch her, but instead he obeyed, lowering Sam back down and moving back. Sam immediately stopped yelling and struggling, but hitched herself to a half-crouch, her optics darting to every mech in the room nervously, one hand and arm half-raised to deflect any further attempt to touch her.

"Please explain more fully what you mean." Optimus asked Mikaela. "In our society, the mech in charge is responsible for the well-being and care of the femmes in their group. I was attempting to show this position to Sam by my actions."

"Perhaps on Cybertron, being picked up and cuddled by the Prime is reassuring and even familiar to your femmes, but kindly remember that Sam was human less than six hours ago." Mikaela told him. "Not only is he likely terrified that he's gonna get raped, but mentally at least, he's still a human _male_, and you're a male too! I know there's no prejudice about same-sex relationships in Cybertronian society, but in human cultures there's still a stigma against that, especially if you're straight, which Sam was."

"I would never force anybody. That is taboo in Cybertronian culture," Optimus rumbled, his tone suggesting he was shocked that she had even suggested the possibility.

"Yeah, it's not acceptable amongst most human cultures either, but it happens," she countered. "And the fact that you understand the concept enough to find it shocking suggests that as rare as it is, it has happened in your culture too. Am I right?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," the Prime replied.

"Yeah, well there you are. And maybe you understand your responsibilities to the females of your kind enough to try and implement them, but Sam doesn't. Until very recently, she was human, a human _male_, with no knowledge of the existence of Cybertronian femmes, let alone their role in your society."

"Then I shall explain it to her," Optimus said resolutely. Recalling how Optimus sometimes explained _too_ much, with no thought for human foibles, failings, feelings, and attention span, Mikaela shook her head in censure, holding one hand up to reinforce her rejection of _that _idea.

"No, that may be too much in too short a time," she said. "I think you should explain everything to me, and then _I_ can explain it to Sam." As Optimus opened his mouth to object, Mikaela held up an admonishing hand, having anticipated this. "Look, she'll still be thinking like a human, and believe me, in human society, a female can present the same things to another girl that a male suggesting might be taken the wrong way. You have access to our internet, look up "innuendo," "gender roles", "Freudian slips", and "sexual suggestion" and you might get an idea of what I'm trying to tell you."

Whether Optimus looked up the terms she had suggested or not, she wasn't sure, but his response was to lower his hands for her to climb into, which she duly did. "Very well," he said, "but I will need to speak to Sam about it soon." Mikaela climbed into his hands with a nod.

"_After_ I've talked to her," she said. Optimus' response to that was to nod and straighten up, walking out of the med bay without a further word or look back. Once he was gone, Sam relaxed her guarded position, looking beseechingly at Bumblebee.

"Can someone explain to me just what's going on?" she pleaded.

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Mikaela returned an hour later, with a worried frown the only blemish on her beautiful face.

"Okay, Sam, you need to understand the situation concerning femmes on Cybertron," she said. Sam had been unable to go back into recharge during her absence, the experience of waking up in Optimus' arms having unnerved her so. She nodded, indicating that Mikaela should continue.

"On Cybertron, femmes have always been rare, throughout their history." she explained. "They are also, although this was not always seen as welcome, the only other source of new sparks – known as sparklings - via a process known as Sparkmerge, other than via the AllSpark."

"Hey, _waitaminute_!" Sam said nervously. "You mean he wants me to bear his _children_?"

"Sam, if you don't understand the way their society arose, you won't understand anything else," Mikaela told him. "Now shut up and listen."

When she was sure Sam was listening, Mikaela carried on talking. "As I said, femmes were not common, it was something like two or three hundred mechs Sparked via the AllSpark for every femme, though records suggest the AllSpark was producing as many as one femme for every twenty mechs by the time the war started, suggesting that the AllSpark was aware that it may not be available for quite some time," she continued. "How many of these femmes survived was unknown, those that did would be a bit younger than Bumblebee."

"Because of this situation, in a group of Cybertronians, femmes could be vastly outnumbered by mechs. To prevent fighting over the femmes within the group, and to protect them from the amorous attentions of whichever mechs might be around a femme at the time, it was decided that the head male – in this case Optimus – would be the mech who would look after the femmes, make sure they were safe, care for them, and be their protector."

She swallowed, for there was no easy way for her to tell Sam the next part. "In return, the leader could choose which one they spent their nights with, some of their day time with, and sometimes shared a berth with."

"You mean I have to _sleep_ with him?" Sam said in horror. Mikaela shook her head but it was only a half-negative, part of it was confusion.

"Optimus promised not to force you, and I believe him, but if you do not accept his protection, he must, by tradition, throw the responsibility of overseeing your welfare open to every other mech on the Base, and you are just one of two femmes on this Base. Believe me, if he throws it open, you'll have every other mech on this Base vying for your attention. He doesn't want to do that, not in the current situation."

"_Two_ femmes?" Sam said, seizing on that for a possible source of redemption, but Mikaela's bitter laugh dashed that hope.

"_I'm_ the other one, Sam, and it's an honorific at best. I'm a female by human standards and to a certain extent by his. I have fought alongside him, in Mission City. I have accepted his protection, I can sleep in his room and polish him in return. As you know from polishing Bumblebee, that _can_ bring relief, but it's an honorific title as much as anything else. He acknowledges that I'm a femme fighting companion in his group. But he would love for you to accept his offer, and is willing to compromise due to your unusual situation."

"In other words, I gotta accept his offer or he'll throw me to his mechs, and it'll be open season on me?" Sam cried.

"No, Sam, he won't let anyone else force you either, but he has lived by his customs all his life. Let me tell you his compromise, and then you can make suggestions I can take to him. Believe me, Sam, as a girl with no Pa to look after her in her teenage years, a protector is something I'd have jumped at. At least _listen_ to what I have to say."

Sam nodded, so Mikaela continued. "Optimus accepted that you need time to come to terms with your new gender, species, and status, so he's agreed that for three more months you are to be considered Ratchet's patient, still recovering from what has happened. That means that Ratchet is charged with protecting you and ensuring your well-being, and as the healer-patient relationship is a necessary one, nobody can come after you, not Optimus, not any other mech, and as Ratchet is your _healer_, not Ratchet either. On top of that, as someone who may be in special need of his protection, if something arises that leaves Ratchet unable to protect you, Optimus will do so in his stead, while expecting nothing in return."

"Three months? Is that all?" Sam wailed. At that point, Ratchet spoke.

"Don't look too far ahead, Sam. I can do a psychological assessment on you in that time. If I decide I need you to have another three months, I can, different people take different times to adapt to difficult situations, and yours is unique. But please do attempt to adapt, Sam, Prime and the other mechs will only wait for so long, and in this unstable war situation, we do not know what will happen."

"Are you saying that if I take too long they'll decide for me?" Sam asked, even as Ratchet shook his head.

"No, Sam, no-one here in this Base will force you, but you must remember that those within this Base are not the only ones who are on this planet. Starscream and his Decepticons are also on this world, and although I know Optimus can control himself and his mechs, Starscream and his own mechs are an unknown quantity." Ratchet explained.

"Okay, yes, I see your point. If they never find out, it'll be too soon." Sam said.

Perhaps it was better for everyone in the Autobot Base's peace of mind, that they were unaware that Starscream and his mechs were already aware of Sam's changed status, and were already making plans to exploit it.


	2. Chapter 2

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Two.

"So, the Autobots have a femme, and if we believe what we've heard, it used to be that Witwicky fleshling. Well done, Skywarp, for taking the opportunity when you had it. Finally that bug you planted has taught us something new other than Ratchet's remarkable vocabulary of oaths!" said Starscream.

"So, what should we do about it?" asked Barricade.

"What do you think? We'll take her for ourselves, that's what!" Starscream said. "Revenge and the saving of our race in one go! We can get sparklings on her, put the mech ones in adult shells, give them all the programming they need to function, and Decepticon loyalty programming so they are loyal to us and our cause. The femme sparklings could be put in adult bodies, and have sparklings of their own. We could create an army, and crush the Autobots when the time is ripe."

"Won't that take time?" asked Barricade.

"Well, of course it will take time, Barricade, but once she starts bearing, we can immediately transfer them into adult bodies," Starscream told him. "We can move around as need be and fight the Autobots off whenever they attack. Once we have her, we flyers can look for new places to hide both us and her. We keep our heads down, remain hidden, and change our alts if need be. We can even hide out in another country if being in this one gets awkward." He paused, then continued as he noticed he had gained not only Barricade's attention, but that of some of his grounder companions.

"Yes, we will have to be patient and to wait until our numbers are sufficient, but we will have the time, and in a few years, we can crush the Autobots with squadrons of Seekers to pound them from the air, and an army of ground mechs to tear their ground forces to shreds. Think of it, Barricade, and think how sweet revenge will be once the waiting is over and we can strike! And the time to seize her is as soon as possible, while we have the advantage of surprise. They do not know that we know about her, so we will seize her today, start creating our army now!"

He turned to the big tank-mech, Wreckage. "Is the auxilliary Base ready? Is there at least one secure cell ready that we could put her in?"

"Yes, Lord Starscream," he confirmed.

"Thundercracker, you fly there, ready to receive us when we arrive. Skywarp, you wait just outside, I'll need you so we can make a quick exit. The rest of you, come with me. We strike now, while they are unaware, which will help, but once they become aware of us, I will need you to fight them, get them occupied with keeping you at bay, while I sneak in and take the femme." He paused. "In eight hours, we will assemble ready for our attack. We take a further fifteen minutes to confirm who does what. Then, we attack!"

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Sam was learning, with the help of Bumblebee and Ratchet, to walk. Transforming, she was informed, would come later, and the U.S Military had been requested to come up with a range of small military vehicles so that she could choose a suitable one to scan and take the form of. Mikaela had turned in, her human body tiring, and Ratchet had ordered her to get some sleep.

The whole "Prime-protects-in-return-for-favours" thing had freaked Sam out, particularly when she found out that the literal meaning of the Cybertronian term for a Prime's femme companions translated as "She who is owned by the Prime."

"I'll be his _slave?_" Sam squeaked in horror, images of chains and handcuffs and kinky bondage toys scrolling though her processors. Ratchet shook his head with a snort.

"Sam, isn't it Optimus who told you that 'freedom is the right of all sentient beings?' None of a Prime's 'owned' femmes are slaves, and they all have to be willing to submit to being 'owned' before they become so. Just as, if they find another they like enough to be bonded to them, he must release them to the mech they choose." He sighed. "The whole 'lost in the translation' mess makes this awkward. Yes, if you agree, Optimus will 'own' the right to take time with you, either on or out of his berth, but that ownership claim is mainly for the benefit of the femmes."

"Yeah?" Sam asked sceptically. "Wanna explain how being his to command benefits me?"

"Gladly, if you'll shut up long enough for me to explain!" Ratchet growled. Sam was so startled that she shut her mouth and stared at Ratchet, her optics wide. Ratchet didn't waste the opportunity given, and launched straight into his explanation.

"The whole "Prime's Owned" title is the equivalent of a big "Hands Off!" sign to every other mech around," he explained. "While you are 'Prime's Owned' any mech who wants to even socialise with you must gain permission from Optimus to do so. I cannot see this being a problem: once you are under his jurisdiction, I am informed that myself, Bumblebee and Ironhide will be given special permissions to visit you or see you at any time that he does not request your presence."

"You mean, he has control over every move I make?" Sam asked.

"No, not at all, but he has the rights on who has access to you," Ratchet explained. "If you find any mech being a pest, and tell Optimus, he will not only restrict or totally ban the mech's contact with you, he will also talk to the mech and tell him in no uncertain terms that he is overstepping his authority. This does not mean that _you_ cannot go and socialise with _them_, that is quite acceptable, but they must ask him for permission if they want to seek you out to spend time with you."

Sam reflected on this as she put one foot in front of the other, while Bumblebee held one of her hands and Ratchet held the other. It was a bit humiliating, having to learn how to walk again, but Ratchet promised her that she'd soon get the hang of it.

"It's not like having to train a sparkling, you already know the how and why, you know the mechanics. You just have to get used to your new form and the new centre of gravity your body possesses. Once you get used to balancing again, you'll be fine."

Sam hoped that that moment would come soon, and to her relief, it did. She wavered, then suddenly realised she wasn't pulling against Ratchet or pushing against 'Bee, but supporting herself on both feet. She stepped forward once, and then again, her confidence growing as she did not waver.

Suddenly Ratchet dropped her hand, and the loss of the light support on that side _did_ make her wobble, but instead of falling on her aft or slumping in an undignified fashion against Bumblebee, she wavered and then found her balance again. For the next twenty minutes, she walked, then fast-walked, and eventually ended up running up and down with just Bumblebee supporting her on one side, as Ratchet excused himself and went out of the medbay muttering about 'time for someone's medical.'

It was during one of these running sprees that Bumblebee abruptly let go and stopped moving. Carried forwards by her own momentum, Sam kept going, and grabbed hold of the wall for support.

"What did you do that for?" she spluttered.

"Because you don't want to go through life balancing on me, and you're hardly using my support at all anyway," Bumblebee explained. He came to stand opposite her, across the medbay. "Here, come towards me –no, don't run, walk, - and then speed up, that's it, see, you can do it!" As Sam reached her, Bumblebee caught her hands and she found she only needed the slightest touch to keep her balance. Without needing to be told, she turned and walked back down to the other end, then turned back and, almost running, came back up.

Bumblebee picked her up exuberantly, twirling her round. "That's it, you're doing fine! Wait here a moment, I'll go and find Ratchet. He's gone to chase down Prowl for his medical in the rec room, but he'll want to give you exercises for practice, and check on your progress."As Bumblebee put her down and left the room, Sam grabbed hold of the med bay work table for balance, boosting herself onto it as she was still unused to standing.

She had been there for maybe two minutes, waiting for the medic and her friend to come back, when she heard a bang, followed by alarmed cries. She heard what she knew from Mission City were shots from Cybertronian weapons, and more shouting, then banging and running footsteps. She had never heard this sort of racket on the Base before, and wondered if she should be alarmed, whether she should investigate, or just stay where she was. As another shot sang through the air, unmistakably from Bumblebee's cannon, her curiosity got the better of her.

As she got off the work table, the med bay door opened. Looking up and expecting to see the medic or Bumblebee, the unasked questions on her lips died as instead of the familiar friendly forms she was expecting to see, the doorway was filled with the menacing form of Starscream, his arm-gun cocked and ready, his armour standing out in angles and points.

"Ah, Sam, just the femme I was looking for," he said, converting his gun back into a hand and advancing into the med bay. Sam shrank back, then found she could retreat no further as the work table was at her back.

She spun, and tried to run around it, but felt a hand seize the top of her arm and yank her back, felt another, aggressively familiar hand grab her about the body, touching across her chest and groping down, sharp knuckle-claws grazing along her belly and down her crotch plate, before seizing the edge of her hip and then lifting her up so her feet left the floor. "Come here," he heard the Seeker say, followed by a chuckle as Starscream turned and exited the med bay, still holding her. Realising she was not just being groped but abducted too, she began to thrash about and struggle, her elbows and feet clanging against metallic surfaces. Sam heard him chuckle again.

"Oh, I do like the feisty ones. You have a fiery Spark, it seems." Sam's struggles intensified and she kicked her feet backwards, feeling them impact at least once hard enough to dent the metal.

"Stop that!" the Seeker cried, seeming less amused, and then Sam felt herself put down and swung about to face Starscream before she felt one long metal hand strike her hard enough to make her knees buckle, her vision swim, and her audios ring. As she tried to cope with the disorientation this caused, she felt the Seeker pick her back up and pinion her against his body with his arms, immobilising her almost completely, his ankles held in one of his hands, her arms pinned down by his own and by being held tight against Starscream's armour.

As she felt the strange side-to side movement caused by the Seeker's gait, signifying that Starscream was on the move again, Sam struggled futilely, then, as panic swept over her, raised her voice in a piercing scream, and then again, hoping somebody would come to save her.

She got a dizzying impression of fighting in the corridor ahead, Autobots she knew fighting with some Decepticons she recognised, such as Barricade, but many of the mechs the Autobots were fighting were unknown to her. Abruptly she realised this was a full-on assault on the Base, and she struggled again, realising Starscream was making his way towards the open door. She saw a black and purple flyer pop into existence, hovering just outside the door, and had a sudden sinking feeling that if Starscream managed to reach this mech with her, it would all be over, at least for her.

Screaming and writhing against the Seeker again, Sam struggled, not registering the shadow that fell over her and the Seeker until she heard a feral growl and saw a red and blue arm reach forward, grab one of Starscream's wrists, and then pull and twist at the same time.

This time it was Starscream's time to cry out, and as Sam felt the grip of the flier weaken, she struggled again, and felt herself slip. More wriggling and a few more growls later, and then suddenly she was falling to the floor Starscream falling on top of her with a howl composed part of fear and part of frustration,.

It was too much for Sam to endure, changing gender and almost being abducted in less than 24 hours. Panicking, not thinking but acting, Sam scrambled out from under Starscream - who was too busy fending off the blows of Optimus Prime to worry about her - crawled to the side of the corridor, and then curled in a foetal ball, whimpering and hiding her optics.

She did not know how long she stayed like that, did not even recall hearing the sounds of fighting getting more distant and then ceasing altogether, nor recall hearing Starscream shrieking, first begging for mercy, and then to the Decepticons to retreat. She stayed, curled in a ball, crying and shaking, until she felt gentle hands reach down and turn her. She screamed again, flailing, but then Sam recognised the hands as those of Optimus, heard him saying "Easy, Sam, it's okay, you're safe now."

She reached her arms up. "Optimus! Help me! Save me! Don't let them take me!"

He paused, then reached down to put his hands under her shoulders. "Are you formally asking me to be your protector, to look after you, to care for you?" In his panic, Sam did not realise the significance of the request, merely saw Optimus as a source of safety.

"Yes!" she screamed, Please, protect me!"

She felt herself lifted gently, felt Optimus' big strong arms tighten around her and press her against that broad chest. Her splayed fingers felt metal plating, glass, and plastic, and she buried her face against him. She felt comforting and caressing strokes, felt Optimus straighten up, holding her securely against him.

"You have called upon me to be protected. I accept your request, and you are now Prime's Owned. I will care for you, look after you and protect you. You are safe now, Sam."

"Optimus, no, she's terrified and doesn't know what she's just agreed to! Give her the three months!" Ratchet protested.

"She has asked and I have accepted. This is now out of your hands, Medic. If she has need if your presence, I will call you. I am not stupid, nor insensitive, I will be careful with her. That is all. Go and repair our soldiers, they need you more than she does." With that, Optimus turned and walked through the doors of his office.

He walked past his desk and into his private room, placing Sam, still in her foetal position, on the berth. He easily rolled on next to her, pulling her gently to him, curling around her spoon-fashion. He stroked her, not in a sexual manner, but on her head, down her sides, smoothing his hands down her arms and legs, cupping and stroking her head gently in his big hands. The soothing motions had the desired effect as Sam relaxed and eventually dropped into recharge. Ratchet had warned that new bodies required frequent recharges for a while, Optimus recalled. With little else to do, he wrapped his arms about her, pulled her close to let his body heat warm her, and dropped into recharge himself.


	3. Chapter 3

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Three.

As Ratchet and Bumblebee came back into the Medical Bay, they saw Mikaela standing on the shelf she'd bedded down on waving to them.

"What happened? I woke up to the sounds of shooting and screaming and I couldn't get down!"

"The Decepticons attacked, they'd somehow found out about Sam," Ratchet told her as he took down packets of metal sealant and solder patches. "Once I've finished, I'm sweeping this medbay for bugs!"

"Get me down and I'll have a look, maybe from that low down I can look under stuff," she suggested. Then she looked around wildly. "Where _is_ Sam? They didn't take her, did they? Ratchet, you can't leave her in Decepticon hands!"

Ratchet's face broke into a grin. "No, Starscream tried but Prime came to her rescue, and almost tore Starscream into several pieces in the process. I think he's got worse injuries than any of our soldiers, I'll mainly be applying patches and repairing torn lines. No, Sam begged Optimus for protection so he took her into his room."

"He _what_? I thought Sam had three months!" Mikaela said.

"By asking Prime's protection he made his choice, albeit unknowing, but relax, I don't think he's pushing it, the readings from the medical sensor I attached to Sam earlier indicate that he's in recharge. Don't worry, I will continue to monitor, and if Sam gets too stressed I'll be pounding on Prime's door. If need be I'll cut it open with my saw," he said "but I don't think that will be necessary, Prime has assured me he'll be delicate about this."

As Ratchet turned to the doorway he saw Cliffjumper, Hound and Prowl coming in, all with blast marks on their armour and scratch marks and other injuries apparent. The medic ran an appraising optic over them and lifted Mikeala down to the other table.

"Cliffjumper, over here. Mikaela, you take stock of the other two and make sure nothing is more serious than it seems." Mikaela, well accustomed to assisting Ratchet, waved the two mechs over and got them to turn in front of her so she could check for injuries as Ratchet sat Cliffjumper down and used a moist pad to wipe away scorch marks and energon from a ragged tear across his chest.

"That'll need welding but then it'll heal just fine, it's stopped leaking already," Ratchet said, pulling out the welder from his foot and firing it up.

"Hey, Ratchet, there's rumour circulating that the Decepticons had come after a femme, but we don't _have_ a femme, do we?" Cliffjumper asked.

"Well, it certainly _looked_ like a femme Starscream was trying to abduct. Looked like a femme when he dropped her and she lay curled up and screaming on the ground too," Hound replied from where Mikaela was inspecting him for damage.

"I should weld shut your mouth, Hound, then you wouldn't be so eager to tell everybody what you saw," Ratchet said tetchily, "but to answer all your questions -because most the Base must have heard her screaming - yes, there is a femme on the Base. I was going to let her have some time to adjust and then inform you, but it seems this attack has put a stop to that. We don't know why and we don't know how, but it seems that the human Sam Witwicky had some AllSpark energy trapped within him, and it turned him into a femme."

"Ooh, is she pretty?" asked Cliffjumper hopefully, wincing slightly as Ratchet began to repair his chest. "Ouch, be careful!"

"I always am careful, Cliffjumper, if you let me dull your sensors it'd hurt less," Ratchet said "and yes, she's very pretty, but she's also Prime's Owned, so you'd better get permission before you go sniffing around her. Remember, too, that having until recently been a human male, she's still getting used to the idea herself, so be careful what you say to her and how, the last thing you want is Prime banning you from being near her because something you've said or referred to has freaked her out."

"Drat," Cliffjumper groused, "the first femme we've seen in vorns and Prime's claimed her already."

"As is his right as our Prime," Ratchet said sharply. "Anyway, even _he's_ got to be careful, if he freaks Sam out he'll have to deal with me, because I'll have to deal with her and it won't be pretty."

"I know, I know, but I hope we get a chance someday," the red mech said.

"And that's the sort of talk you don't make within Sam's hearing," Ratchet said as he finished, turning Cliffjumper and cleaning two small holes which he then patched. "Well, that's you done, grab yourself an energon from the dispenser, then make yourself useful and tell the other mechs what I have told you. We may as well make Sam's new status officially known, as by now everybody will have heard the rumours."

As Cliffjumper drew an energon and left, Ratchet waved over Hound asking "What does he need, Mikaela?"

"He has three holes and a set of scratch marks, I'd say soldering and patches" she said. Sighing, Ratchet picked up some patches and set to work.

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Sam stirred, unshuttering her optics, then recalled the earlier events and woke completely. She could feel a warm metal form curled around her, could feel a metal hand holding her just above the waist, and one metal arm over her, the other under her, the hand resting just below the other one, on her stomach.

Looking down and then behind, she realised it was Optimus Prime himself curled around her, and as she recalled the attempted abduction and the confusion she'd experienced in the aftermath, she began to worry. She remembered Optimus had said that she was now Prime's Owned. Did that...did that mean she would be expected to...now? This soon?

She began trying to ease herself out of Optimus' hold, but as careful as she tried to be, her movements woke him. He sat up, and Sam scrambled back. However, he made no move to retrieve her, but sat and watched her, a gentle smile forming across his faceplates.

"Are you feeling better, Sam?" he asked. "You seemed to need the rest."

"Uh...yeah, I mean thanks, you...you rescued me, right?" she asked. She had a vague recollection of seeing Starscream desperately trying to field off Optimus' furious blows as Sam had crawled off to curl up. "Um...I'm sorry about that, you must think me an awful coward."

"No, Sam, under the circumstances, not being able to walk and not knowing what weapons you possessed, or knowing how to use them, you did the right thing. You struggled, slowing your kidnapper down, and you drew attention to your plight. Once Starscream let go of you, you got out of the way. Would you be happier if I took you to Ironhide? He can help you find out what weapons you possess, give you additional ones if you wish, and teach you how to use them, and how to maintain them."

"Uh, yeah, if that would be okay," Sam said, relieved that Optimus didn't seem to be expecting her to cuddle up to him and wasn't making any obvious moves on her. Optimus nodded and stood, picked Sam up gently around the waist, then transferred her to one arm, holding her sideways on his hip like a human might hold a child.

"Hey, wait, what are you doing?" Sam fretted.

"As you cannot walk, I assumed I would need to carry you. Or would you prefer to be cradled in my arms?" He began shifting Sam as if to do just this.

"Uh, no, no, but I can actually walk, just I might need a bit of support now and then. I was learning just before the Decepticons attacked." He shuddered at the too-recent memory. Optimus made no comment, but set her on her feet and then offered his arm as support. Sam caught hold of one of the edges of his wrist guard, and Optimus took small steps so that Sam did not have to run to keep up.

Five minutes later, they arrived at the door of Ironhide's armoury, and Optimus commed to indicate they wished entry. Ironhide looked them up and down and said "Prime, if you don't go to Ratchet to get those dents seen to, he'll be down here sooner rather than later and we'll never hear the end of it!"

"That can come later. Sam needs to know what weapons she has, how to use them, and what options for extras she has open to her."

"Well I can do that while you go to Ratchet," he insisted. "You know how he goes on about you not getting yourself repaired." Optimus looked like he was about to argue, then nodded.

"You are right." He took one of Sam's hands and placed it on one of Ironhide's. "I charge you with Sam's protection while I am gone. Keep her safe until I return."

"For Primus' sake, Optimus, we're in the Base, you don't need to go all formal on me as if we're on the battlefield, what harm could she come to with you a few minutes away in the medbay?"

"She nearly _did_ come to harm in the medbay earlier!" Optimus said sharply. "I am asking you to protect her in my absence. Do I have your agreement?"

"So the rumours are true, she has accepted your protection," Ironhide said. "Very well, Prime, I will protect your femme, sacrificing my own Spark if it becomes necessary, until you return to take her back into your charge."

Ironhide's formal pledge seemed to satisfy the big flame-patterned mech. "Sam, I will return once Ratchet has done anything he needs to." With that he turned and exited the room.

"Right, let me see your arms and your back. With your frame, that's where any weapons are likely to be..."

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When Optimus returned, Sam had plenty of weaponry.

"Her original weapons were two cannons, one in each arm, but they weren't very powerful." Ironhide explained. "I put in a bigger power unit so any adversary will actually feel it, and have discovered she has concealed shoulder launchers, it won't affect her balance too much when they are deployed. In addition, I've bolted on extra armour to her forelimbs that won't interfere with her cannons, but she can use them to deflect blows, and they contain a surprise she can deploy for close-quarters fighting. Show him, Sam."

Sam twisted her hands at the wrist as Ironhide had taught her, and two sharp blades flicked out either side of each wrist, and another further up on the outside edge of each arm from the thick arm-bracers Ironhide had attached to the top surface of her arms. Then she raised both fists clenched to show Optimus the electro-shock knuckle-spikes the big specialist had carefully installed. Ironhide handed Optimus a small blue unit.

"Ratchet should install that somewhere in her chest. It's a mobile electro-magnetic pulse generator, to be used if all else fails. It can kill a smaller mech, but should even be able to faze a larger one long enough to give her a chance to escape. It's too delicate a procedure for me to install it, it needs a medic's touch."

Optimus nodded, and extended his arm. "Come, Sam, we will get that done now. Ironhide, will you arrange an hour a day for Sam to practice using her weaponry?"

"Certainly, Prime. Come here at two 'o' clock tomorrow, Base time, and we'll get you started, Sam," Ironhide said. Sam nodded, actually looking forwards to learning how to fight. Then she and Optimus turned and together went up the corridor, Sam now having the confidence to run alongside Optimus while holding on lightly to his arm to balance, so he didn't have to walk so slowly.

Optimus gave Ratchet the EMP generator unit, and Ratchet nodded. "Sam, go and wait with Mikaela and Bumblebee. Optimus, I accept your femme into my care and will defend her if the need arises." Sam was able to walk over to the berth where Bumblebee and Mikaela were talking without support, and Optimus smiled to see her progress.

"You may as well leave, Prime I'll be putting Sam into another recharge loop after the operation, her body is still getting used to storing energy for future use. You can see her again tomorrow, let her spend time today with those she's more familiar with," Ratchet said. Optimus nodded, turned to leave, and then turned at the waist to look back at Sam.

"Sam, after your weapons lesson with Ironhide, I want you to come to my room and spend some time with me. We need to talk."

He turned and left the room, not noticing the worried look on Sam's face.


	4. Chapter 4

For The Race: Prime Protector.

Chapter Four.

A/N: One vorn= about 80 years. Sentences _'like this'_ are commed speech. Thanks to reviewer Luki Dimension for reminding me that Sam would protest his situation.

Sam found that, once she got used to moving fast in her new body, she was as good as running and dodging as she ever had been as a human, with the added advantage of having weapons that her new Cybertronian vision helped her to aim with reasonable accuracy. Ironhide was pleased with her progress, telling her that she would soon be able to get past the basics and move on to slightly more advanced training.

This was tempered by her fear of what Optimus wanted her in his office for. Now she knew about the role of Prime's Owned, she wished Optimus hadn't asked what he had when surely he _must_ have known, considering the situation, that Sam would accept. She took some comfort from what Mikaela and Ratchet had assured her: that Optimus would not force her into doing something she didn't want to. That didn't completely reassure her, but it was all she had.

She approached Optimus' door with trepidation, startling when it opened when she was about a foot away. Optimus stepped into view. Sam decided that if Optimus tried to take her hand, or kiss her, Prime's Owned or no, she'd take flight and head for the hills.

Optimus didn't, in fact must have seen something in Sam's posture, for he backed off and indicated with a flat hand and stretched arm for Sam to come in. Sam steeled herself and stepped inside.

She had expected that the conversation would take place in Optimus' room, beyond his office, so was gratified to see that he had set up his office for the talk, a chair suiting Sam's size set opposite Optimus' own large chair. As Optimus drew two cubes of energon, Sam was also glad to note, as the Prime put the cubes down on the desk, one in front of Sam's chair and one in front of his own, that the desk was between them. She relaxed a little: unless he was thinking of using the desk as a berth, she was probably safe for now.

The chair was tall, but there were a couple of rung-like structures up the side to facilitate a 'bot of Sam's size to get up to sit on it, which she was pleased to note that she managed without difficulty. Optimus too noticed, giving a small nod of approval.

"Please, Sam, have a drink, Ratchet brews the best energon I have tasted." He waited until Sam had reached forward to pick up her cube of energon and had taken a nervous sip before continuing. "Once we have had a chance to relax, I can begin to teach you how to use your com system. That way, in situations such as that you went through yesterday, you can call for assistance even to people out of audio range."

"Um, yeah. I guess screaming isn't the most effective method of communication," Sam said, lowering her gaze to her energon in embarrassment. The Prime raised his hand and shook his head at Sam's words.

"No, Sam, you used the most immediate and available method you could, comming would be something you would use in conjunction with vocalising, not instead of." Optimus said. "There may well be situations where vocalisation would not be the best option, such as if you are hiding, and then comming while keeping quiet would be the best option, but do not be afraid if the need arises to vocalise as well as com."

He took a data lead from out of his arm, showing it to Sam. "It will be easier if I connect this to one of your dorsal neck data ports, once you can com I can send relevant information that way." He waited for Sam to give a slow, hesitant nod before himself slowly rising from his chair and walking round until he was behind Sam.

Sam unconsciously tensed at the sensation of the big Prime standing behind her, and flinched as she felt large but gentle fingers touch the back of her neck. She felt and heard a click as something there opened, then the fingers returned, and she felt the lead slide into a socket at the back of her neck. Then she suddenly felt information being uploaded into her processors, and in a split-second she knew not just how to com, but also how to scan and transform. For a moment she was unaware of externals, then feeling returned as she felt Optimus remove the lead, close the panel on her neck, and then rest one of his hands on each shoulder.

She found this didn't panic or stress her, on the contrary, the paternal nature of the contact made him relax. _'You have nothing to fear from me, Sam, my primary role is to protect you.'_

The sentence had not been spoken aloud, Sam suddenly realised, she had heard it inside her head. _'So, this is comming?'_ she asked back, using the knowledge she had just received. Optimus did not reply via voice or com, but nodded encouragingly.

Sam had to admit that being able to speak one-to-one like this was exciting: she imagined how much fun this would have been if she could have done this as a human in school: it beat passing notes! _'The other knowledge you gave me, about scanning and transforming, will I be able to use that soon?'_ she asked. Optimus removed his hands from her shoulders and walked back around to his side of the desk, and Sam noted that he was smiling.

'_It is good that you are practicing the use of your com ability, you can ask some of the other mechs, such as Ironhide and Ratchet for their com codes, and later we can practice group comming.'_ "However, remember that when there are humans around, and if there is no real need to com, we should vocalise as usual." He made the transition from com speak to vocal seamlessly, reaching for his energon and taking another swallow.

"To answer your question, we are still waiting for the Military's small vehicle selection to arrive. When those turn up, you can choose one to take as a vehicle, or alternative, mode." He paused. "Sam, I want you to put aside an hour each day, when you come to my room and we talk like this. If you have any questions, I would like you to ask them, and I will answer them as best as I am able. I will allocate you a room of your own, I can help you code the lock to your vocal pattern."

"Okay, I guess, it's just to talk, right?" she asked. Optimus nodded.

"Yes, Sam, just to talk, to grow used to each other's company, to teach or learn, to relax. We had little enough contact when you were a human, and that was appropriate, but now you are a Cybertronian, you may well wish to fight as part of our group. It is best that all my soldiers, all the mechs, and you, as a femme, feel relaxed enough to approach me and know me well enough to trust me in battle, when you may have to act on an order from me without thinking it through."

"Hey, wait just a minute, you expect me to _trust_ you? After the stunt you pulled yesterday?" she asked. Optimus looked confused.

"What do you mean, Sam? The 'stunt I pulled yesterday'?"

"You know what I mean! Asking me if I wanted you as a protector when it was quite obvious that I wasn't about to say 'no'!" Sam hadn't intended to say a lot more, but as her feelings of outrage took over, she continued. "I had just narrowly escaped being kidnapped, and I can guess what they wanted me for. You took advantage of my feeling vulnerable to trap me into becoming essentially yours to control and command. For all your noble words about freedom, it seems that doesn't apply to me now I'm the only femme and the AllSpark's gone!"

There was a heavy silence after Sam's accusation as Optimus digested the content of Sam's outburst. For a moment Sam felt fear, how would Optimus react? Then Optimus shuttered his optics briefly before looking back up at Sam, his expression uncomfortable.

"Sam, I admit with hindsight that you were manipulated into this position. I did not see it as such at the time, and you did not realise how it was on Cybertron. On Cybertron, with more than one mech around who had charge of a band of people, a request for help had to be formalised, to avoid confusion or fighting between two Leaders over one femme who had been aided by both." He sighed before going on as Sam looked blank.

"On Cybertron, in a battle or in a difficult situation, a femme can ask for one-off help. To differentiate between whether the femme in need is making a one-off request, or requesting permanent assistance, the leader mech will ask her if it's a formal request or not. If a femme says no, than there is no obligation, except from the femme's chosen protector, who owes the assisting mech a favour. However, if she says 'yes' she is considered Prime's - or Leader's, not all Leaders were Primes- Owned. In the confusion of the fight, I did not realise that, having been brought up as a human, you would not _know_ you could say no. Coupled with your panicked state, I misunderstood your request as a decision that you wanted me as your primary protector. Sam, I apologise." He paused. "Ratchet tried to tell me and I did not listen." He dimmed his optics briefly, then continued.

"I hope that you _can_ grow to trust me, despite the misunderstanding that occurred yesterday, so we may fight effectively in battle should the need arise. All of the mechs here have known me for vorns, you and I have known each other a comparatively short time. We need to get used to each other, to get to know each other so we can fight as part of a team."

Sam was about to let rip with a smart-aleck reply to that, but then her audio processors caught up with her mouth, and she stared as Optimus' words sank in.

"You let your femmes fight? On the front line, with you and the other mechs?" Sam said. He was surprised, for although the U.S had women in the services, few were allowed on the front line of any conflict, and even that was a recent development, and not one that everybody approved of. Sam saw a brief smile cross Optimus' faceplates.

"Why not? They are equally capable of doing so, and in some cases more so. Why discriminate against them due to their gender, or body form?" He smiled again. "Had we tried, I think we might have been in trouble, I cannot imagine Elita's team allowing themselves to be locked up in-base while the mechs leave to fight. Ironhide himself tells me you have a natural talent for dodging and attacking, and that you learn fast."

Optimus rose. "It seems that you may get your chance to learn to transform sooner than I thought. Ironhide informs me that Major Lennox has informed him that the vehicles are en-route and will be here in a hour. Come, we can talk to Ratchet and Ironhide and get them to give you their com codes." _'That way, you can get some more practice in, and soon you will be comming as naturally as vocalising.'_

Sam grinned and as Optimus moved forwards, fell into step just a pace behind.

An hour later, she looked over the vehicles. Ratchet helpfully pointed out those where she had too much, or too little, mass to manage, and Sam eliminated another few she disliked or thought inappropriate. Finally she chose an Army-issue all-terrain motorbike, one that would not look too out of place in a town, but would perform equally well off-road. After receiving information on how-to from Optimus, she changed the colour to a more civilian shade of green, not too bright but not obviously Military issue, so she'd blend in more in the city.

She had to get used to walking again with all her extra 'kibble', but this didn't take as long as re-learning to walk after her change. She found, after a little practice, that she could connect her legs together to use one of her wheels for getting around, something she found fun once she'd got the hang of it. Her daily meetings with Optimus continued, as did her daily weapons practice with Ironhide. He taught her how to fire and dodge now in vehicle mode, as well as when walking and running, and wheeling in 'bot form. Her days were now so full that she had little time to dwell on the Decepticons, who had not shown themselves since their thrashing a few weeks previously.

Those who knew the Decepticons of old were not relaxed, however. The Decepticons had now had ample time to figuratively lick their wounds and repair themselves. Their very silence indicated they were plotting something, and even as Sam began to get into a routine at the Base, and the memory of their kidnap attempt became less distressing with time, certain Autobots were on the alert for the Decepticons' next move. They knew that the longer they kept silent, the more dangerous they would become.


	5. Chapter 5

For The Race-Prime Protector.

Chapter Five.

Decepticon Base, 25 days after Sam's change.

"How humiliating!" hissed Starscream, recalling the trouncing he and his Decepticons had received at the hands of the Autobots just over three weeks previously. He balled his hands into spiky fists, some of the joints still a little stiff after having to be pulled and welded back into place after the savage beating he had received from Optimus. "Unfortunately, it looks like invading in force won't work, and now they know we know, they'll be on their guard." He hissed with frustration. "If only we could get the femme, we could pay back for all the humiliation we've received and finally gain the means to destroy the Autobots and their fleshy allies!"

"Don't worry, Lord Starscream, there is one thing they cannot guard against effectively, and we can take advantage of that." Skywarp said.

"What's that, Skywarp? I'm interested, tell me more!" Starscream said.

"Me," Skywarp said, and then he disappeared with a pop of displaced air.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Sam was still feeling somewhat annoyed at Optimus, for the Prime had, when asked by Sam if he could reverse the Prime's Owned claim, answered in the affirmative, but then explained why doing so would be a very bad idea.

"Release of a femme from being Prime's Owned is only done for one of three reasons," Optimus explained. "The first is if she chooses a bonded. The second is if she chooses to go with another Leader. The third is if she doesn't want to be under Leader's protection. You are not bonded, there is no other Leader for you to go to - unless you want to offer yourself to Starscream- and to release you under the third reason would mean every other mech on the base is permitted to try to court you or otherwise pursue you romantically if they so wish. If you wish, I will release you, but considering how long my mechs have been in space travelling here, and how long it is since most of them –with the exception of Ironhide – have even _seen_ a femme, let alone courted one, I do not think you would find the resulting situation comfortable."

Sam got a sudden mental image of a big queue of mechs outside her room, of being mobbed by them every time she left, and shook her head quickly.

"Offer myself to Starscream?" she asked. "Ugh, what a horrible thought, that is _so_ not going to happen! So it's either that or get followed around the Base by the rest of the Autobot mechs? Well, I can't say I like it, but you make a nasty kind of sense. Okay, I'll stay as Prime's Owned, but only because it's the best of a bunch of bad options," she said. Optimus shook his head sorrowfully. He wished this situation could have originated in a different way, with Sam being willing to be in this position.

Sam had retreated to her room and was now resting on her berth. She figured her room was a little bare, and wondered if her parents would send some of her posters from her room at home, which she would no longer comfortably fit into. They had been informed about her situation, and their reaction, -disbelief, followed by denial, then tears, then a gradual acceptance- had been predictable. They were still having issues dealing with it, but at least they now accepted her as being their Sam, albeit much changed. "Well, I guess I always wanted a daughter, but this wasn't quite how I saw myself getting one," Ron had said, and Sam figured that if he could joke about it, he was beginning to accept the idea.

An odd popping noise outside in the corridor drew her attention, and she wondered what it was. Her curiosity got the better of her and she got up and peeped outside.

His back was to her, but Sam recognised the dark Seeker who had been hovering just outside the Base when Starscream had tried to kidnap her. He was standing in the corridor not ten feet from her door. Her Spark flickered. What was he doing here? She backed off, letting the door close and commed Optimus.

'_Optimus, one of those Seekers is here in the corridor outside my room!'_ she commed. At that moment she heard the popping sound again, louder, then again, louder still as the black and purple Seeker was suddenly in her room. _'Correction, he's now __**in**__ my room, help!'_ she sent frantically.

"Aha! I thought I heard a door close!" the black Seeker said, and reached for her. Sam shrank back.

'_Which one is it? What colour?'_ Optimus commed back._ 'I'm on my way.'_

'_Black,a bit of purple, he just appeared in my room,' _Sam said as she recalled she was now armed. She began charging her knuckle spikes and deployed her wrist blades and held them up in front of her as she backed off.

"Still as feisty as Starscream described, I see," he said as he took a half-hearted, lazy swipe at her. He was playing with her, not concerned at all, and that terrified her.

'_Sam, that's Skywarp! Don't let him get hold of you! Keep out of his reach!'_ Optimus replied, his tone urgent. Sam twisted as Skywarp made another lunge for her, and surprised the Seeker by slashing at him with her wrist blade. The black Seeker cried out in surprise as a line of pink welled up along his arm, and then Sam was twisting and dodging, driven by the urgency in Optimus' voice and the fact that Skywarp was trying to grab her.

Her flight was abruptly brought to an end as her back thudded against a wall, and she saw another wall to her side. She tried to dodge to the other side but the Seeker was expecting just this move, he had manoeuvred her into this position for that reason. She felt him seize her wrist, and commed to Optimus _'He's grabbed me!'_, As the Seeker pulled her closer, chuckling as he moved to loop his other arm over her shoulder and grab her to his chest, she recalled her electric knuckle spikes and punched blindly with her free hand at the chest in front of her.

The spikes struck the glass canopy of the Seeker's cockpit, hard, and discharged their electricity as they scratched across the surface, leaving four scratches on the glass. The effect on Skywarp was dramatic. Blue lightning danced across the glass as the Seeker let out an agonised screech. His grip on her arm loosened, but then tightened again.

'_Sam, use your EMP device! Don't let him warp you away!'_ Optimus commed, a desperate note in his voice. Sam had been instructed in the use of this, but this would be the first time she'd be trying it out. Shuttering her optics, she discharged the device while struggling to free her arm from the Seeker's grip.

This time, when Skywarp's grip loosened, it slipped off Sam's arm entirely, for with a groan composed part of pain and part of frustration, the big Seeker crumpled almost in slow-motion, slipping to the floor. Sam could hear the Seeker's systems slowing, and saw his optics dim as the shutters slid closed over them. Sam didn't waste any time staring: leaping over the prone flier, she shot out of the door at full speed, without looking where she was going.

She almost panicked as she ran straight into the person outside her door and felt the hands grab her, but as her optics focused she recognised Optimus. Without a word he set Sam aside, behind him, then advanced into the room as he extended his sword blades.

Sam almost ran after Optimus: she didn't want Optimus killing anyone on her account, but before she could react three things happened. Ironhide stepped up beside her, resting one surprisingly delicate hand on her arm. "Don't go in, Skywarp might still be able to grab you and warp off," he said. Then a popping sound was heard, and then that was followed by a frustrated growl from Optimus. There was a pause before the heavy footsteps of Optimus approached and then the Autobot Leader stepped out, looking supremely annoyed, with both sword blades still fully extended. Startled and still a little nervous, Sam raised her arms slightly and took a step back.

"He warped away before I could deal with him," he said, then noticed Sam's slightly defensive stance. He glanced down, as if looking at his aggressive posture and exposed blades, then drew one leg in closer to the other and relaxed his back before pulling both blades back inside his armour and taking a step towards Sam. He crouched before Sam could step back, gazing at her before saying "Sam, are you hurt? Did he harm you?"

Sam found herself captivated by the brilliant blue optics in front of her. Their glow was not too harsh, nor were the optics semi-shuttered. They were wide and honest, filled with concern for his charge, and the hands that gently settled on her shoulders were not at all possessive, but paternal. As she gazed into them, she saw more detail, saw the irises within expand and contract as Optimus looked up from her to Ironhide and then back at her. Optimus' gaze held her, she was mesmerised by the way that the more she looked, the more she saw. In the centre of the iris was a bright point of gentle blue light. Sam had never been this close to the Autobot leader for this long before, had not noticed how beautiful his optics were.

She was startled out of her trance as her body, robotic as it was, reacted in a very human manner to the shock she had received. Her joints seemed unable to hold her, and Optimus had to catch her as she fell to the ground in an uncontrolled collapse. As her optics blacked out, she thought she heard Ratchet's voice, and then she knew no more.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

"Ratchet! Is she hurt?" Optimus cried in alarm as he cradled the femme's limp body in his arms.

"No, the EMP device is energy-hungry and has used up all she had available," Ratchet explained. "This is why the EMP device is for emergencies only and not as a main weapon in battle, the energy cost of using it is high. Thankfully, our bodies have a small power reserve which is for emergency use only, and were she still in danger she would still be able to run and hide due to emergency programming in her processors. However, as her processors have ascertained she is safe, the programming has disengaged, causing her to shut down in order to recharge her main power cells. She just needs to rest."

"Then I shall take her to my room, she can rest in my berth. This is the second attempt the Decepticons have made to take her, and we cannot guard against Skywarp's ability. Thus somebody must be with her even when she sleeps, that person will be me." He looked at Ironhide. "Can you work on a warp-detection device, or even better, a warp-proof field generator?"

"I can try, Sir," Ironhide said. Optimus nodded.

"Please do so as soon as you are able. I will take Sam for a rest. When she awakes, I shall tell her the arrangements," he said.

He headed towards his room with Sam's limp form carefully cradled in his arms.


	6. Chapter 6

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Six.

A/N: I am using Phoenix13's idea of mechs for this story and yes, they have equipment 'down below.' Which means I finally get to inject some humour in here! If the image of robots with 'parts' offends you, you'd probably better stop reading this once Sam has left Prime's room. Plus, 1 orn = 13 days.

Optimus was not in need of recharge himself, so he carefully lay Sam down on his berth before heading back out to his office to work, moving his desk to a point where he could look up every few moments and see Sam. He didn't think Skywarp would be up to much for a few joors after the jolt from Sam's EMP generator, but he wasn't taking any chances.

Optimus found his gaze wandering more and more to the recumbent femme on his berth, found his optics staying on her longer than necessary to ascertain that she was safe and well. In the end he gave up on his work, after all, he was a mech, and the femme on his berth was a welcome sight to his optics. Looking wouldn't hurt Sam, and the work he had could wait.

After a while he rose and moved over, his optics still fixed on Sam. He had to admire her courage and quick thinking, two things that had made an impression on him when Sam was still a human. She had managed to fight off Skywarp, no mean feat for mech, femme or human, and had remembered the weapons she had at her disposal to do so. She had managed not to freeze, and had kept her wits about her, something others in the past had not done.

Skywarp used his ability to inflict damage or cause chaos to full advantage, and it was few who were able to get over the surprise of his appearing/disappearing act fast enough to come away unscathed. Of course, the fact that they wanted Sam alive helped, had they wanted her dead she might already be so, but Sam had done well under the circumstances.

He found himself standing over her, his optics wandering over her recharging form, and wondering how those slender arms and powerful legs would feel to touch now that Sam had her alt. He reached out, paused, then continued reaching. She was recharging, need not know, and he was simply curious as to how her alt had changed her limbs.

His hand touched her shin, and he pulled back cautiously lest she waken and startle, but she didn't even stir, so he reached out again slower and let the tips of his fingers trail down her legs. He gently took each of her feet, one at a time, into his hand, then stroked back up the leg with his palm, right up to the hip, before moving his hand to her shoulder to stroke all down her one free arm.

His hand returned to her feet, stroking along the wheel that was in its resting position just above her ankle. He brought one hand back down, intrigued at the difference in texture between the rubber of the wheel and the smooth paintwork as he reached the other up to her arm again, and it was as his gaze travelled back up to Sam's face that he noticed her optics were open and that she was watching him, aware of his actions.

He was about to remove his hands and step back, but something about Sam, something about the fact that she wasn't tensing at the touch, made him leave his hands on her. He carefully stroked the foot and leg and arm he was touching, careful to keep his caresses non-sexual, non-demanding, and ready to remove his hands at any time, while watching Sam's face for a negative reaction.

Sam, for her part, had been startled but not alarmed to wake up to find the Prime touching her. The touch was not actually unpleasant, it was just a little surprising. The touches weren't paternal, but they weren't arousing either, or proprietary, just...interesting, and Sam had to admit, she was enjoying the tactile contact.

It was when Optimus shifted closer that she felt a stir of alarm, but the moment she involuntarily tensed, Optimus drew back, removing his hands from her hide and straightening up.

"Your alt mode has some most intriguing textures, although I imagine my tyres and paintwork would provide the same textures were you to compare them by touch," he said. He turned away before Sam could come up with a response, crossing to an energon dispenser in his office and returning with a cube of energon, which he handed to her as she sat up. He then boosted himself up on the berth to sit beside her, something that disconcerted Sam, but as he made no move to touch her, she relaxed again: she supposed he wanted to simply sit beside her.

"Sam, what happened today cannot be permitted to happen again. Skywarp is unpredictable and we currently have no way of countering his teleportation ability, although I have set Ironhide the task of creating a counter field that will stop him." Optimus said, turning his head to address Sam. "I must insist that you be accompanied by at least one other at all times, and when you need to recharge, you come here and recharge in my berth."

Optimus was disappointed that Sam's reaction was to lean back from him, her optics wide and frightened, but he guessed progress would be slow: he couldn't expect to go from Sam accepting inquisitive touches to becoming a berth mate within five minutes. The fact that she had not freaked at the touches was encouraging, but he had to be careful not to undo the small improvement. He continued, as if he had not had to think through what to say to reassure her.

"I will stand guard over you at such times, and take my own recharge while you are awake and under another mech's protection, and this will continue until Ironhide finds a way to nullify the threat posed by Skywarp."

Sam relaxed a bit, but still seemed wary, so Optimus slid off the berth and stood to face the flighty femme. "Ironhide is already working on a solution, I have confidence that he will find one, but for now I dare not leave you alone. The choice of mech who will accompany you during the day is up to you."

"Bumblebee," Sam said immediately, and Optimus nodded. He supposed it made sense – Optimus himself has assigned Bumblebee to be Sam's Guardian back when she was a human, and he supposed Sam would be used to the yellow scout. He nodded again as he realised that Sam might open up a bit more to Bumblebee, and maybe Bumblebee could explain things to Sam in a way the human-male-turned-Cybertronian-femme might understand better, or she might not at least perceive Bumblebee as a threat.

"Bumblebee it is," Optimus confirmed, then sent a com to Sam's guardian to come and pick Sam up. A few moments later, Bumblebee turned up.

"Okay, Sam, I'm here, shall I show you around the rec-room? Don't worry, you might get a bit of attention, but if they bother you, I'll tell them to back off," Bumblebee said, putting an arm around Sam's slim shoulders and leading her out. Optimus refrained from reminding Bumblebee that Sam's status should keep that to a minimum, realising Bumblebee was trying to take Sam's mind _off_ her status, to reassure her, at least for now.

Optimus waited until the two were out of the doors and their low voices were no longer audible before dropping back on the berth with a sigh of his vents. He had been surprised at how aroused he had become just by stroking Sam's limbs and sitting by her. Prime he may be but he was still a mech, and like any other mech he had urges, and needs. He sometimes wished that he were not so courteous around Mikaela, only allowing her to wash him, but he was fearful of offending her if he asked her to go any further. It was true, yes, that he had yet to see Mikaela offended by anything she had found out about the 'bots, but he didn't want to find anything by being the one to offend her.

He supposed he could ask Ratchet or Ironhide, offering to repay the service, but no, Ironhide was working, Ratchet would probably find the situation amusing. And he didn't feel like being the butt of veiled jokes from the medic for the next four orns. Anyway, neither of them resembled Sam even remotely.

No, there was nothing for it, he'd have to do it himself. The image of Sam, reclining on his berth was still clear in his processors, so the required imagery was at his disposal. It was just somewhat less satisfying to relieve such frustrations yourself than with the help of another. However, what he had was likely to be all he would get, at least for some time. He hoped Bumblebee could help Sam to adjust.

Reaching up to his hips, he sprung the clasps of his crotch plate and put it carefully to one side, then reaching into the newly-exposed area, took hold of the interface cable concealed within, and began to stroke it rapidly.

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"It's just that – I guess the thought that Optimus is like, well, the robot equivalent of a male, it just kind of creeps me out I guess," Sam said. They had, in the end, gone to Bumblebee's room, where they could sit and talk without interruption.

"Why, Sam? I'm the robot equivalent of a male too, does that creep you out too? Or are you saying you look upon Prime as like a femme?" Bumblebee asked, his optics wide in confusion.

"_No_! Oh hell, Bee, I don't mean it like that! I know you're a mech too, but you're a friend, you're not interested in me that way...at least I _hope_ you're not, and it's _not_ that I see Optimus as a femme, it's just I've never thought of him being, well, _male_, with all the urges and desires and shit that that entails!" Sam was grateful for one aspect of her change: were she still human, she'd be blushing so hard her face would resemble a tomato.

"Actually, Sam, you're probably not the first person to fail to see the Prime as like any other mech," the yellow scout said, deciding that now was _not_ the time to tell Sam that yes, he did love her, had actually secretly loved her even as a human, but was very aware of certain attractive facets of Sam's new form. "He always comes across as this noble, proud, fierce warrior, and like any romanticised character, it can be hard to see that he's a mech with the same needs and urges and feelings as any other mech." He gave a funny warble. "Yes, he has his beliefs, he'll fight for them, and one of those is standing up to bullies like Megatron and Starscream, but that doesn't make him a..." the scout searched the internet briefly for the right term, "a saint."

"It's just that...to know that he's having _those_ sorts of thoughts, well, like about _me_, it's just, hell, how can I come to terms with _that?" _Sam exclaimed. "He's Optimus Prime, the Big Boss Bot, I look up to him, he feels almost like a father to me, and I guess that means it almost feels incestuous!"

"Sam, at least you _admire_ him. Give it time, it's been less than a human month since you changed. And remember that touch doesn't always mean someone's gonna jump on you. Get used to being around him before you start worrying about what he's gonna do to you because Optimus won't make you do anything before you're ready. Why not ask to do something safe first, perhaps with Mikaela, like wash him, or have him and her wash you, in alt if you prefer. Ask him to help you train in Ironhide's armoury. Ask him what points you, as a smaller 'bot, could reach on an enemy about his size? There's plenty of things you could safely engage him in to get used to having him around you. Pit, Sam, ask for _me_ to help out with doing things with him if it makes you feel better!"

To Sam's surprise, the conversation and suggestions had made her feel better, and she reached over to pat the yellow scout on one arm.

"Thanks, Bee, I appreciate this," she said. Bumblebee bobbed his head.

"Anytime, Sam," he replied. "That's what friends are for."


	7. Chapter 7

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Seven.

Sam found that Bumblebee's suggestions were helpful. When she did things with Optimus in the company of others, like Mikaela, Ironhide or Bumblebee, she found herself worrying less about what Optimus might do or say. Spending waking time with him was less stressful, and when Mikaela was able to, she joined Sam for recharge, sleeping curled up with her back against Sam's warm, concave stomach.

She got to wash Optimus in both alt and robot mode, and Optimus, with Mikaela's help, washed and polished Sam in both forms in return. He kept his touches professional and functional, not wandering, at least as far as Sam could tell, to her chest or hips and crotch. Sam washed herself down there, having earlier discovered the catches that released her crotch plate by accident, and not really wanting to ask about the warm narrow recess that lay beneath.

Sam found herself watching Optimus a lot, his ease of movement and his fluid grace, something Sam found surprising for a mech of his size. She had to admit that there was a strange appeal about the big Prime that she could not deny, but she told herself that that did not mean she wanted to jump onto a berth with him.

She found herself getting curious about the crotch-plate issue, wondering if it were a femme thing, or whether all the 'bots (and presumably the 'Cons) possessed detachable armour down there. There was absolutely no _way_ she was going to ask Optimus – apart from the embarrassment factor, she didn't want to think of where and what that might lead to – but decided she could cope with asking Bumblebee.

He was very forthcoming, and explained that all Cybertronians possessed this nifty piece of removable protective armour plating, but what lay beneath depended on the gender. Mechs, he explained, possessed an interface device, which was usually referred to as the interface rod, and femmes possessed an orifice the spike fitted into which was referred to as her "port" but beyond that, Bumblebee could not be more specific.

"If you want to know the details, Sam you could ask Ratchet," the scout said. Sam thought about it, then remembered Ratchet's penchant to explain in detail, sometimes too much detail, and decided against it.

"What you've told me is fine, Bee, I'll pass for now but I'll keep it in mind," she said.

"Sam, would it satisfy your curiosity about mechs at least, if I showed you what the interface rod looks like?" Bumblebee asked hesitantly. Sam, realising what that meant, nodded uncertainly.

"If you wouldn't mind," she said, hoping she wasn't pushing Bumblebee into doing something he didn't want to. Bumblebee, seeing her hesitation, rushed to reassure her.

"It's a bit like humans, it's not considered polite to show it in front of anybody, particularly femmes, but if you want to know and won't tell, I'll let you see. We're in my room, and I think you know your own mind enough to tell me to cover back up if it offends you." Sam thought about it for a moment, and nodded. Bumblebee took the nod as assent and reached down, flipped the catches and slowly lifted the plate away so Sam could see what lay beneath.

She didn't say anything for a while, just looked. Bumblebee didn't know how to take the reaction, but just before the silence moved from awkward to uncomfortable, Sam said "Do all mechs have the same...umm...arrangement?"

"Pretty much," Bumblebee said. "It may differ in size, certainly, and sometimes shape. In the non-bipedal, or those with an unusual body structure it may occupy a different location, but yes, each mech has much the same structures and arrangement."

"It looks similar to the human male's um...equipment, even to looking as if it can get longer and thicker," Sam said.

"It can, Sam, remember femmes too will come in different shapes and sizes, the rod will fill out to take account of this, but will never swell beyond what is capable and comfortable for the femme. At least, that's what Ratchet told me when I asked what would happen if a Optimus found a little femme." Bumblebee recalled that Ratchet had then told him to stop being so inquisitive about the Prime's private life, but Bumblebee decided Sam didn't need to know about that.

"So...Optimus...he has the same?" Sam asked.

"Oh yes, but due to his size it can get longer and thicker, and from what I've been told, none of the femmes Optimus had pre-war had any complaints, even the little ones. He told me they all considered him a considerate partner."

"You've discussed this with Optimus?" Sam squeaked, having a sudden vision of Optimus telling Bumblebee to set Sam at ease for him.

"Sam this was vorns ago, while travelling through space. Even us, with our extended lifespans, needed something to talk about on our way here. With all of us bar Ironhide being unbonded mechs, and travelling in a group with a Prime, well, questions regarding femmes and what they might like came up," Bumblebee said. "Optimus wasn't offended, in fact he said he was surprised that Jazz and I hadn't asked earlier."

Sam supposed that like any all-male group, the talk would eventually turn to sex. She and Miles had been no exception, although they used to have top-shelf magazines available to stimulate discussion and their imagination. She recalled discussing the hot girls at school, she-when she had still been a he-and Miles comparing their own private opinions about the attractiveness of a girl's vital statistics. She grinned: it seemed that the males of their species at least had at least one more thing in common with each other!

A slight scraping noise and the snapping of catches signified that Bumblebee decided Sam had had a good enough look, and in fact he was right: she had. But Sam did have one more burning question.

"If femmes are rare, and what ones are around have Prime's Owned status, how do you cope?" she asked. Had she still been human, her face would now be scarlet. She had never, ever thought to find herself asking quite such personal questions!

"Sam, not all femmes are Prime's Owned, only the unbonded ones. Those who have bonded – that is, who have chosen to be bound to one another, which is more than marriage but that's the nearest analogy – are protected by their bonded rather than the Prime, although Optimus will defend any he sees who need it. However, I assume you are asking how unbounded mechs, like me, or bonded ones without their mate, like Ironhide cope. Well, Sam, we either self-stimulate or go with each other for relief."

Sam tried to imagine Ratchet and Ironhide with each other, and couldn't.

"Each other?" he squeaked. "But...how? Unless you're hiding more down there you don't have a ...hole... you can use!" Sam saw Bumblebee's shoulders shaking in the way they did when the yellow mech found something intensely humorous, and wondered just what Bumblebee found so funny.

When the yellow mech was able to speak, he said "Sam, even I know that sexual contact between humans usually involves a lot of stroking and cuddling. We are not so different. The rod does not have to be inserted into a hole or tube to be stimulated. We can use our hands on each other's rods, or rub them against each other, that's more than enough, and sometimes the rod is not used at all."

Sam decided she already knew too much, and had trouble stopping mental images parading through her brain of scenes she devoutly hoped she'd never see actually happening.

"Okay, Bee, I think I get the picture," she said, and stopped herself from asking Bumblebee if he'd ever gone with someone else in the Base, because she was scared he would answer yes. If she couldn't cope with mental images of Cliffjumper and Ironhide, she knew she wouldn't cope with the same images featuring _Bumblebee_ and Ironhide.

"I think we should head back to Optimus' office, he'll wonder where we've been if we delay any longer, and if he finds I've had my crotch plate off in your presence he'll want to know exactly why and what was said." Bumblebee suggested.

"Yeah, I could do without Optimus giving us the third degree," Sam said, getting up, and following Bumblebee out of the room.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Once back in Optimus' room, Sam found she had a problem. Optimus was telling her and Bumblebee what progress Ironhide had made on creating a warp disruption field, and although he had a desk, Optimus tended to walk up and down in front of it while talking, rather than sit down. This had never before been a problem, but then again, Sam had been entirely clueless about interface cables and crotch plates before.

Now that she knew, Sam found her optics kept moving to that silver piece of armour, which even appeared to have a substantial moulded bulge to it. Every time she caught herself looking, she deliberately focused her optics upwards, but the movement of Optimus' long legs as he slowly walked back and forth drew his optics down again a few minutes later. Even more worrying, Sam found herself wondering what Optimus, (or more precisely his groin area) would look like if the piece of crotch armour was removed.

Thankfully, Optimus' summation was fairly brief and to the point. Ironhide had made some progress and felt that he was fairly close to a breakthrough. He thought that he would soon have a working prototype, although his biggest concern was that he had no way of testing it. In theory, it should work, but until and unless Skywarp attacked again, they had no assurance it would work in practice.

As they got ready to leave, Optimus asked Sam to remain behind for a short time. Puzzled, Sam did so, and watched as Optimus walked back and forth in front of her without a word. Once again she found herself watching the bulging silver protuberance that looked like nothing more than a robotic codpiece, and once again brought her optics up to look at Optimus' face. The mech suddenly stopped pacing and turned to face Sam, beginning to speak as he did so.

"I am curious. I have noticed that several times during the meeting, your optics appear to have been looking at my hip region, specifically at an area in the middle of and slightly above where my legs join my lower abdomen, just as I observed you doing just is new behaviour from you, and I wondered if you could provide any explanation for this."

Optimus' mobile face and sonorous voice did not appear to be displaying amusement or annoyance, and his whole demeanour was serious, and not censorious, but right at that moment, Sam was wishing the ground beneath her feet would open up and swallow her.


	8. Chapter 8

For The Race-Prime Protector.

Chapter Eight.

A/N: Slang terms for male genitalia beyond this point. You have been warned...

As several seconds passed, and Sam realised that the ground was _not_ going to be obliging and grant her wish, she looked up from her feet (where her optics had been staring) back to Optimus' face. The mech seemed to be waiting patiently, and Sam wondered idly how long he would wait. Being a long-lived race, she supposed Cybertronians were more patient than the short-lived humans they shared this world with. Then she remembered that Optimus was waiting for an explanation, an explanation of, well, yeah, THAT, and pulled her processors back to that embarrassing task.

"Um, yeah, well, Bumblebee and I were talking and the subject moved to anatomy. I'd found my, well, you know, my armour down there, was removable and I just - asked if it were true of mechs as well." She decided to omit Bumblebee's act of 'show and tell', his friend had stated it was considered bad manners and she didn't want 'Bee told off, or worse, banned from seeing her. She spread her hands. "I was just curious, I mean you've all grown up knowing your own bodies, but all this is new to me!"

Optimus took a step forward and crouched to bring her head closer to Sam's own level, as one hand touched her shoulder reassuringly. Optimus had been doing this more recently, little reassuring, almost unconscious touches to the arm, hand, shoulder or back, and Sam found she didn't mind this at all.

"Sam, curiosity is natural. I am not going to expose myself to you, it would be bad manners, but I am happy to answer any questions you may have."

Sam was glad that Optimus had chosen to keep his 'equipment' to himself. She had already decided that if Optimus had made any move to get it out she'd be out of the room and running like Hell by the time Optimus had undone the first clasp.

"So...Bumblebee said you mechs had something called an interface rod down there. Is it, like in humans, you know, sensitive? Is that why it's hidden, to protect it, or is it just a decency thing, or what?"

"It is softer than the rest of our bodies and it is mobile, so yes, it is sensitive. The crotch plate serves mainly to protect it, but also to keep it out of the way and to conceal it from public view."

"Yeah, cricketers wear a plastic cover called a 'box' over their bits in case they get hit by the cricket ball in the goolies, so to speak. So, I guess kicking Starscream in the nuts isn't a valid method of getting him to take his double-thumbed hands off me, just like he couldn't disable you likewise." she said.

Sam suddenly had a weird-out moment about the entire conversation. _'Here I am, a robotic female asking a robotic male about his robotic penis, like it's the most normal thing in the world!'_ she thought. She supposed she'd have to get used to a _lot_ of new things now she was a Cybertronian and a femme, she just hoped they wouldn't all be this embarrassing!

Sam heard a soft repeating noise from Optimus, and realised she'd managed to make Big 'Bot laugh.

"No, kicking Starscream in the crotch plate would not even slow him down, but if you really want to know things that will, grit in the joints or a punch up one thruster should, although the latter carries a risk of burning or melting. Threatening his wings should also make him think about backing off, but Ironhide would be in a better position to teach you a Seeker's weak points. Ask him once he's finished his anti-warp field."

Sam nodded, and then decided to take the plunge.

"Without reproduction like we do it, having two sexes seems a bit silly. Is it a choice or is there a reason for the distinction. After all, the AllSpark created you, if that was how you had babies, why have femmes at all? Is their function purely decorative or can they..." she swallowed, and finished her sentence, "you know, reproduce?"

Optimus sighed. "Yes Sam, femmes can, in the absence of the AllSpark, combine their Spark with a mech and create a new Spark, or sparkling, although it was a rare occurrence on Cybertron, for femme-birth was seen by many as blasphemous."

"Blasphemous? Why?" Sam said. Optimus stood up, and walked back behind his desk. He drew two cubes of energon, sliding one across to her. "You may wish to sit down, Sam, it's a little complicated. Like Earth, Cybertron played host to a number of religions, but the dominant one held that a supreme being, called Primus, created the AllSpark in order to create our kind. Some say that the original First Thirteen, seven of whom were Primes, were the very first Cybertronians, their Sparks called forth from the AllSpark by Primus. Others say that our race did exist first, and reproduced as you do,but then Primus gave us the AllSpark, beginning Cybertron's first Golden Age. There are many opinions on the AllSpark's origins and role in our society, but those two are the two main religious views. As a result, femme birth became regarded as undesirable, and at least twice in our history, an attempt was made to purge the planet of femmes entirely."

"But that's ridiculous! If the AllSpark didn't want femmes, it wouldn't have created them!" Sam cried.

"Yes, indeed, but back then, reason didn't always compute. They were seen as glitches, aberrant, accidents, but I digress. Femmes have usually, as a result of this view, been fitted with a contraceptive that can only be deactivated by a trained medic, to prevent accidental creation. However, this was an invention of the mechs long ago. AllSpark-created adult femmes – and this includes you – do not have this. I have a theory that the AllSpark wanted mechs and femmes to share in the joy of being able to create, otherwise why make them capable of creating, and in the case of the femme, carrying and bearing sparklings?"

"As long as they want to, right?" Sam asked uneasily. Optimus nodded.

"As long as both the mech and the femme are willing, yes." Optimus said. "Forcing another is taboo, although it seems that some of the Decepticons have chosen to abandon that taboo."

"So, how does it happen? Creating a Sparkling without the AllSpark, I mean?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"It has been pointed out before that humans and Cybertronians are very similar, and the actual reproductive process is much the same, except that the couple also unite their Sparks, opening catches in each other's chests to allow their Sparks to combine. The fluid released by the mech has several functions, it may provide extra energy, and metal molecules to form a small hollow ball to enable the energy inside to coalesce into an independent Spark. This is called a Sparkling orb. This goes in the femme's reproductive chamber, inside her chest."

Sam looked down at her shapely chest plates and slender form. She was suddenly assailed by an image of her body swollen much like that of a pregnant woman, and asked in a small voice "How big does it grow?"

Optimus must have guessed the direction of her thoughts. He chuckled again, took a mouthful of energon, and shook his head.

"Sam, our kind's sparklings do not expand inside the femme. Unlike humans, it is only the Spark, not an actual body, that is carried by a femme. When it is ready to arrive, it will exit via the femme's port – the opening in a femme – and a new body, or something to put the Spark in, even temporarily – is provided by a medic. The Sparkling orb breaks upon contact with any surface, and the new Spark migrates into the provided body or space. If none is provided, it swiftly dissipates."

"You seem to know a lot about it. Ratchet I'd expect to know, but you?" Sam said.

"Elita, the femme I planned on bonding with, and I, decided to ignore tradition and popular religious opinion, and tried having a sparkling of our own twice before the war began. The first time it came early and we had no suitable body. The second survived its birthing but perished in the war."

There was an awkward silence as Sam absorbed this information, then she got up, surprising even herself, and went over, putting her arms around the Prime's neck and shoulder.

"Ah, shit, Op, that sucks. I'm really sorry about that." she said. Optimus' own hand rose to clasp Sam to him. For a moment they stayed like that, Sam comforting the bigger mech, but then Optimus gently started pulling back.

"Sam, it is in the past. Do not distress yourself about it, for I know that the past cannot be changed. However, we can use the lessons of the past to affect our decisions in the present and the future, and that is what we must concentrate on now."

Sam felt quite uncomfortable, knowing that Optimus' plans for the future probably featured her bearing sparklings at some point, and decided to direct the conversation onto slightly safer, if potentially painful, ground. She had the feeling that Optimus didn't often get the opportunity to discuss painful subjects. She may not be a counsellor, but perhaps getting him to talk about it would help.

"Why didn't you bond with Elita?" she asked, and put her arms around his neck again as he slumped back towards her. Again, his hands clasped her, but in the manner of someone needing support, not caressing or stroking.

"In the lead-up to the war, I was always so busy, and then when war began to loom, we both decided to wait until the tension had passed. Had I bonded with her, had I made the time to do so earlier, I would know what happened to her. Circumstances of the war physically separated us, and I fear she perished in the civil unrest the war created. I had to leave to pursue Megatron, and the AllSpark, and have heard nothing of her since. I fear she is either dead, unable to contact me, or separated by too much distance."

Sam's arms tightened as she supported Optimus, his arms tightened about her and then the moment turned from comforting to being awkwardly sexual, both Sam and Optimus suddenly aware of each other's arms about each other. Sam suddenly tensed, and buried her face in Optimus' shoulder, fearful of what might happen next, but Optimus merely moved his arms and shifted his own and Sam's body until it was he who was the comforter, holding Sam around the shoulders and stroking the back of her head. As the newly-platonic hold registered with Sam, she relaxed and released her hold. Optimus gave her a last stroke and a squeeze of the shoulders before releasing his hold on her, allowing her to step back and go back to her chair.

"I have called Bumblebee to accompany you again, I believe he promised you a tour of the rec-room? Remember that if you need to recharge, you come here and I will watch over you to keep you safe. I will take the opportunity given by your absence to recharge myself." As the door opened to admit Bumblebee, Optimus nodded slightly.

"Thank you for waiting back, Sam, I hope you found what I had to say useful, I know I found your comments to be of comfort."

"You're welcome, Prime, I did find it a help," she said, ignoring Bumblebee's curious glances. She did com the yellow scout, saying _'It was private for us both and it's staying that way'_ as she went out with him.

Once they had left, Optimus shuttered his optics and sighed through his vents. It was progress, of a sort, but it looked like being a lengthy business. He still remembered how pleasant it had been to feel Sam's lithe, slender body pressed against his own, the feel of her arms tightening around him. It had taken a supreme effort to pull back and change the nature of the hold, but he knew that had he not, he would have lost Sam's trust for good. He had to take this slowly, but Pit, it was frustrating!

Oh well, he'd have to deal with his arousal as he had the day before. Sighing through his vents again, Optimus reached for the releases of his crotch-plate.


	9. Chapter 9

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Nine.

A/N: The games played in the rec-room were thought up by MeowthTwo and I one night. Thanks to Hummergrey for an idea used near the end of this chapter.

"This is the rec-room, Sam. You've seen it once or twice before when I've come in here briefly, but I don't believe you've ever spent a great deal of time in here," Bumblebee said.

"Yeah, cos Ironhide pointed out that with so many big feet tramping back and forth, I might get accidentally squished," Sam replied.

"Well, you're not quite so small now, nor so fragile, so that won't be a risk anymore," Bumblebee pointed out. He pushed open the frosted glass door and ushered Sam in.

There was a low murmur of conversation and foot-shuffling audible, but all that stopped as she walked in. Every head turned to look, every optic settled on her, and Bumblebee standing behind her was the only thing that stopped Sam turning around and getting the heck out of there. There was an awkward pause, and then Cliffjumper looked up from the oversized couch he was sat on.

"Sam, hi, welcome to the rec room. Why don't you grab yourself an energon and sit down. Even better, why don't you sit down and _I'll_ get you an energon." Without waiting for an answer, the small red mech jumped up and almost ran over to the energon dispenser and began drawing a cube. Bumblebee gave a little laugh and ushered Sam over to the couch. She scrambled on to it as Cliffjumper returned with the cube, handed it to her with a little bow, and hopped up next to her as Bumblebee sat on Sam's other side.

"So, how are you finding life as an Autobot?" the red mech asked.

"A bit confusing, really," Sam said, adding mentally _'and in parts, embarrassing.'_ "It's the whole 'not-being human' thing, and having to learn about being Cybertronian. I mean, not having to sleep every night, that's quite a good thing, being able to private com, that's cool, but I still know I've got a lot to learn, and I bet some of it's gonna be the hard way, I'll probably embarrass myself by not knowing things as natural to you as breathing."

"Well, I'm sure we'll all do our best to try and help you there," Prowl said, coming over. "Then again, we've learned some things off humans too, nothing earth-shattering, but a few games and customs." He brandished the wooden pole Sam had not noticed until then. "Such as the game called 'pool.' As Mirage has just left for duty, I currently have no opponent. Care to indulge me?"

As Sam got down and followed Prowl, she reflected that the Autobots all seemed to be trying to put her at her ease.

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Optimus had been giving the Sam issue some thought. He was willing to give Sam a certain amount of leeway due to her unusual and unexpected change, but the pace was excruciatingly slow. Optimus was, after all, a mech, a mech with needs, and although he would not force the issue, he felt he could not be blamed for looking at ways to speed it up. Which is why he was now trawling the human Internet, looking for ways to do so without freaking the new femme out.

It didn't take him very long to narrow the possibilities down, and to find that the one most likely to succeed would involve something he was not well versed in – sneakiness. It was not a deception as such, but it would mean being devious, and being more well-versed in human anatomy, Cybertronian anatomy in general, and Sam's current anatomy in particular. It would involve knowing how to stimulate without making it obvious, and it would mean that Optimus would have to be extra-careful. Optimus knew very well that forcing another was wrong, and intended to do no such thing, but if it was Sam's own body that would betray at an innocent touch, where was the harm in that?

Comming all that he was not to be disturbed, Optimus set to some serious studying.

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"Well, you're aim's not bad, but I'd say it'll improve with practice," Sideswipe told Sam as he picked the three darts back out of the dartboard (and the picture of Starscream that was pinned up on it.)

Sam was feeling more relaxed than when she'd come in, and slightly smug, having trounced Prowl at pool, winning two games out of three. "You've grown up playing this, I should have expected it," the tactician had stated, and had been about to challenge Sam to a rematch when the Twins had pulled her aside with an offer to play 'hit-Starscream-in-the-Spark' with the darts.

She was about to ask Prowl if he wanted that rematch – personally she thought she had just got lucky – when she got a com from Ironhide, asking her to go to his armoury, as it was time for weapons practice.

Promising Prowl the rematch when she was next there, she and Bumblebee obediently walked down to Ironhide's armoury. Bumblebee said he'd wait with her until Ironhide was ready for her. The black mech had finished building the generator, unless he found out the one he'd made didn't work, there was no point working on it further. Prowl had asked Bumblebee to accompany Cliffjumper on a recon patrol, once again the Decepticons were quieter than anyone was comfortable with.

She watched Ironhide as he gave himself a quick workout, because poring over plans was enough to cramp anybody's cables, and she admired the big mech's economy of movement.

She had been told about Ironhide's almost-unbelievable somersault in Mission City, when he had shot at Starscream with both cannon blazing and then done a one-handed handspring to avoid a cringing human. She had not actually seen it, being too busy running and watching where she was going at the time, but watching the Weapons Specialist dodging, feinting and lunging, she could believe it. Twenty-four foot of heavily-armoured 'bot he might be, but he had obviously worked on compensating for his armour's weight by making sure his agility kept pace.

Ironhide turned to her and waved her into the open area, and Bumblebee took his leave as the Weapons Specialist took Sam through some moves to get her own joints moving and lubricated. Having what was a new body meant that she herself could stiffen up at times if she wasn't careful. New joints needed the stiffness often associated with new parts worked out of them, AllSpark-created or not.

"Prime'll be joining us for the last three breems, he wants you to know a little about dodging or damaging a larger opponent close to," Ironhide explained. "For now, however, I want us to concentrate a little on your shoulder cannons. They are the most powerful ranged weapon you have at your disposal, and when you're as small and attractive as you are, you don't want any big ugly like Starscream getting too close."

Sam gave Ironhide a sharp look, that comment could be taken as flirting, but Ironhide didn't try to wink, grin or anything else that might confirm the impression, so Sam let it drop. "I guess not," Sam said slowly. "I've never really had cause, I mean I've practiced once or twice in here, after I first got changed, but they're so powerful I'm scared of blowing the wall out. Also, I've only just got used to balancing with them concealed, I'm scared that deploying them might affect my balance."

Ironhide nodded. "You'll get used to it if you practice enough. I suggest you go out with Bumblebee for an hour or two a week to do so. I'll ask Optimus to contact Lennox about giving you access to one of the Armed Forces firing and testing grounds so you can practice in the open air, which is where you might need to use them." He nodded. "Deploy them, and I will explain."

Sam did so, and Ironhide pointed one delicate silver finger at one of them. "If you are out and the Seekers – or any others – come at you from a distance, these are what you will use to warn them off. You want to be able to hit them, or at least let them know that you can and will fight – from as far away as possible." He pointed at Sam's knuckles and then her chest. "You don't want them to get so close you have to use your blades and knuckles, and certainly not close enough to use your EMP generator. Those are for use if the launchers don't work."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense," Sam replied. "So you want me to practice with Bumblebee? Not shooting at each other I hope!"

"Of course not," Ironhide rumbled. "As he has the same armaments he can demonstrate the different ways in which they can be used, both in robot and in alt form. He can be your instructor in this."

He then instructed Sam in moving with the cannons deployed, and then got her to practice deploying and retracting them while moving, and told Sam to practice doing so when she could.

She was kept so occupied doing this that she didn't notice when Optimus arrived, she just suddenly turned, and he was stood there watching her. As her optics made their inevitable shift to his crotch-plate, she forced her optics to continue travelling upwards to his impassive face.

"Sam, I take it that Ironhide has told you that I shall be instructing you in close combat against opponents larger than yourself?" he asked her.

"Yes," Sam replied.

"We hope that the need to use these techniques will be limited, or preferably never needed, however it is best you know them just in case. Many of these moves and actions are designed to give you time to move out of close combat range or to give you time for help to reach you. Some are disabling in the short term, and a few are disabling in the long term, but all have their benefits. And their disadvantages."

Optimus moved to stand in front of her.

"Now, one of the biggest advantages to you can be your size versus theirs, and this is for two reasons. First, a bigger opponent can often underestimate their smaller foe. Secondly, you may be able to manoeuvre your large opponent into overreaching themselves, and then there are several things you can do..."

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Some time later, Sam knew about several ways to unbalance someone of Optimus' and Starscream's size, and the location of several vulnerable chinks often present in a mech or femme's armour – particularly around the joints – that she could take advantage of in a close-combat situation. Her lesson ended, but she stayed, for lack of much else top do, to see what would be happening next, and it turned out to be Optimus' own practice time.

He, it seemed, was practicing switching from alt to robot and back again, and she couldn't help but admire the smooth transformation he effected from semi truck to powerful robot, all smooth polished metal and big armoured torso. The Prime had always cut an impressive figure as far as Sam was concerned, but seeing it while several feet higher, and having time to watch the transformation without having to worry about running and dodging gave her a whole new perspective.

She could see now how smoothly he twisted and shifted and unfolded into his bipedal form, and when he unexpectedly deployed first his cannon, then changed to his swords, and then switched them for his fighting hooks, Sam felt a strange current of warmth run from the middle of her chest straight down to her crotch.

She watched as he put the hooks away, transformed back into truck, and then back to robot, managing to pivot a hundred and eighty degrees in the process. Once again, the Prime deployed his cannon but this time crouched, aimed at the target wall of the armoury, and let off a volley of fire. The racket was deafening, but Sam felt that warm feeling increase, and then – oh heck, why did her crotch region just feel like she'd just wet herself?

As she slipped out, embarrassed, she didn't notice first Optimus and then Ironhide turn their heads and notice her leave. She didn't look back as she hurried to Optimus' room, so didn't notice Optimus look back at Ironhide, convert his cannon back into a hand and arm, and then quietly move out and follow her.


	10. Chapter 10

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Ten.

A/N: Thanks to Hummergrey for ideas used in this chapter.

Optimus was concentrating wholly on his practice, or at least he was until the faint scent of arousal registered on his olfactory sensors.

Although not all mechs and femmes were as sensitive as Medic Ratchet when it came to smell, the Cybertronian sense of smell was fairly acute. Various disciplines utilised the sense, for example Ironhide could identify thousands of weapons-grade substances, or the elements used to construct them, by scent alone. With one sniff he could gauge the purity, volatility, and composition of any number of explosive compounds, and likely tell you what type of explosive it was.

Although Optimus was a Prime, his sense of smell, although not as acute as some, could pick up many scents, and this one he had smelt on Elita, and many others. He was aware that he was a mech femmes tended to find attractive, not in a big-headed way, just as a matter of fact. He had been told as much by many femmes, and more than a few mechs, back on Cybertron during peacetime and beyond, and their arousal-scent had merely confirmed what they had said.

As Ironhide too caught the scent, Optimus turned his head, Ironhide turning his a moment later, in time to see the slender form of Sam head out of the armoury, the door sliding closed behind her. The Prime held Ironhide's gaze, comming the Weapons Specialist that he would finish his practice later, then folded his cannon away and slipped out silently behind Sam.

He was careful not to follow Sam too closely, Sam was likely confused about her feelings, and Optimus determined to give her a little space, so he hung back but always kept the femme in optic sight. When she entered Optimus' room, he nodded slightly.

By rights, for her own protection, she should have called him, the whole point of allowing her in his room was so he could keep an optic on her, but he was here, so he'd let it pass. Her confused state was likely clouding her judgement, the last thing she needed was a lecture. He activated his scans, deciding to give her some time alone to compose herself. If there was any disturbance in the room, he could get in fast enough to defend her. He would give her a few minutes, and then go in.

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Sam got into Optimus' room, and once the door had slid shut behind her, moved over to Optimus' berth. She found the catches of her crotch-plate and unfastened them, removing the plate. Touching the inside surface she found it to be slick and shiny, and a quick touch confirmed her port was equally slick. Ugh! What was that about?

Luckily it seemed that Optimus kept some absorbent washable cloths around in case of spills, and Sam found a clean one and used it to wipe up all the wetness. She clipped her crotch plate back on, and suddenly realising she was tired, climbed up onto Optimus' recharge pallet and stretched out. She began sliding into the first stages of recharge but couldn't get any further. Her processors seemed to insist on replaying the sight of Optimus transforming from truck to robot and blasting at the wall, seemingly in overkill, and she could vaguely feel once again a seeping wetness under her crotch plate.

Try as she might, she could not reach the comforting oblivion of a deep recharge.

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Optimus waited for ten human minutes before entering, and he entered when his sharp audios picked up a quiet moan. His scans showed no other nearby, so he entered his room to find out what was going on.

The smell of Sam's arousal was stronger in the room, the smaller enclosed space containing and concentrating it, and Optimus stopped to listen before doing anything else. His sharp optics caught sight of the used cloth in the polishing cloths wash box, and then his audios pickled up the sound of air huffing through vents, louder and faster than was customary for Sam.

He did move through then, and saw Sam curled up on his berth, for Sam, although mechanical now, still slept in the foetal position she had adopted as a human. Sam, already classed as a medium-small-framed 'bot, always looked tiny on the large berth that had been designed to hold up to two mechs of Optimus' size. Usually she lay very still, but Optimus could see the tiny tremors that ran through her frame, and the aroused-scent was much stronger in the berth-room.

Optimus didn't touch Sam at first: he didn't want to go into this situation without thinking and without double checking. He initiated a scan, and from it confirmed that Sam's ventilation had increased, her recharge was light and she was exuding lubricant down below, all indicative of a femme who was charged. As a last check, he looked at the scan results for her Spark energy signature and, sure enough, the results were conclusive: it was comfortably in the middle of the range for a femme who was, as a human might have put it, "turned on.'

He considered potential reasons. Could her arousal be at a different mech, for example Ironhide? He dismissed the thought immediately. Ironhide was the only other mech present when the two mechs had become aware of the scent, and Sam had already spent time with Ironhide previously. Had Ironhide been the source of the femme's arousal, the scent would already have been detectable in the air, but instead it had started soon after Optimus began working out. Now that he had worked out that he was the likely reason for Sam's current condition, maybe he could do something to help Sam out.

Most mechs and femmes could damp their own arousal down: some skilled medics could damp it down in another, but Optimus knew Ratchet was halfway through recharge, so that was not the answer. Unless the situation was dealt with one way or another, Sam would be unable to enter a restful recharge. Many mechs and femmes could deal with it by self-stimulation, but Optimus thought that now was not the best time to try and educate Sam in that facet of her new life.

He stepped up beside the berth and looked down at Sam. She was highly desirable, but he didn't want to go into a full interface with her when she was like this but still uncertain, it would not be right. The body was new, untouched, and a mech or femme's first time was meant to be something extra-special. No, now was not the time to go for anything intense, but there were other ways, and Sam needed to dispel that charge somehow.

Optimus reached down and began massaging Sam's back and shoulders in a sensual manner, light enough to not jolt the femme out of her light recharge, but firm enough to be registered by the sensors in her plating. She curled up tighter in response, pressing into his touch, and let out a soft cry as he trailed practiced fingers up the spinal structure to the juncture of neck and shoulders. Optimus didn't know a mech or femme alive who wasn't sensitive in this area due to the large amount of data cables that transmitted data from both the upper and lower body to the processors, neither did he need to be a medic to know about it, not once he had asked Ratchet why that area was so sensitive.

He put his hands flat on Sam's back and stroked them down, then swept them around her waist as she uncurled in reaction, bringing them up smoothly and gently up over her stomach and chest. He swept his hands up over her shoulders and then caressed her arms, and as she turned onto her back he reached for her audios, two-thirds of Cybertronians had sensitive audios. As Sam turned towards him with a cry, and reached blindly out towards him, he mentally categoried Sam as being among that number, and then moved his hands down to put his arms around Sam as she touched him and grasped at him.

As he pulled her into his arms against his own chest she grabbed for him and held on, her arms folding as she clung to him. Optimus could feel her charge throbbing through her, and shifted so one arm supported her and one side was supported by the wall. He used his free arm to begin stroking rapidly up and down her spinal structure, then danced his fingers lightly over her neck and the sensitive areas of her shoulders close to where her launchers would be deployed.

Sam came out of recharge at this point, jerking her head upwards, her flashing optics looking up into Optimus' own.

"It's okay, Sam, you're going to overload, it's quite normal and most find it highly enjoyable," he assured her, although it was fairly obvious to him that Sam was one of those for whom a building charge overrode their ability to speak. As he finished speaking and his hands brushed against that sensor-rich area at her neck again, she locked up with a shriek, shaking violently as the building charge reached its peak. She stayed like this for several seconds, as Optimus held her close, steadying her and muttering reassurances to her.

Then her optics went off as her body relaxed in Optimus' arm, her neck and head and arms unlocking and flopping loosely. Optimus lay her gently down on the berth, scanning her again as he did so. Her charge was gone and her energy levels suggested she needed a long recharge to recoup the energy she'd spent, both in weapons practice and in overload. Now she would be able to achieve the depth of recharge she would need to do so, and on a whim he found a large piece of cloth to spread over her. He wasn't sure if Sam would need it, but she would be used to sleeping with covers as a human, perhaps the familiar sensation would be helpful.

He had nothing further to do now, and he would not leave Sam alone until and unless they were sure the anti-warp field worked.

He locked his legs and stood by the berth, watching over Sam as she recharged.


	11. Chapter 11

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Eleven.

A/N: Thanks once again to Hummergrey for ideas in this chapter too.

Sam spent the first three hours of her recharge uninterrupted, and Optimus was waiting for her to come back to awareness, certain that he'd have to explain his actions to Sam, which would mean explaining about the arousal-scent and the necessity of overloading her. How Sam would take both the information and Optimus' actions was still very much a grey area, and Optimus hoped very much that in the weeks since her transformation that she had become a little more comfortable about her femininity and her metal construction.

A cry from Sam brought Optimus' thoughts back and he looked at Sam, expecting her to be waking, but she wasn't. Her optic shutters twitched, followed by her legs, and then her whole body twitched, and it was then that Optimus realised that Sam was dreaming.

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_As he ran, he could see flickering shadows around him, hear loud noises, but his focus was narrowed to the Cube he had tucked under his arm and the way ahead. As a large metal foot hit the ground with a thump in front of him he dodged but miscalculated, almost getting run over by three girls in an Escalade that stopped an inch from him._

_Rearing back, he slipped, the Cube rolling from under his arm as he lay on his back, stunned. He barely heard the crackle or saw the blue lightning from the Cube as a shadow fell over and a sharp-clawed hand took a swipe, trying to grab the Cube but missing, due to its now-tiny size. He scrambled to his feet, too busy trying to get to his feet and get the Cube, all while avoiding being squished under the feet of Starscream, who was also after the Cube, to hear the alarmed cries of the car's occupants as it suddenly became alive._

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As Sam twitched again, and then cried out, raising an arm in a clearly defensive movement, Optimus realised that Sam was not merely dreaming, but that he was having a nightmare.

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_Then he was on the roof of the building, facing Megatron, who had pursued him all up to the top of the building._

"_Give me the Cube and you may live, as my pet," Megatron told him, as he gripped a column on the roof for balance._

_Sam was trying to shelter behind a similar column, trying to get his body behind it to shield himself. Doing so with the Cube under his arm was a difficult business. _

"_I'm never giving you this AllSpark!" he shouted back. Megatron almost looked disappointed at his answer as he transformed his free hand into a spiky, menacing looking flail and began spinning it._

"_How very unwise," he said. A heartbeat later it struck the pillar Sam was clinging to, snapping it from its base, and Sam screamed in terror as both he and the AllSpark, plus the remains of the pillar, plummeted towards the ground._

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As Sam gave a shrill cry of terror and twisted on the berth, Optimus moved over, rolling onto the berth next to Sam, taking her into his arms and holding her close to his chest, all the while shushing and murmuring reassurances, stroking her head comfortingly, and trying to gently wake her up.

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_Suddenly his descent was halted as a figure leaped from the side of the nearby building and he was caught by a careful hand and scooped protectively up to a warm metal flame-patterned chest. It was Optimus Prime._

"_It's okay boy, I've got you," he said. _

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Then things became a bit more jumbled, he could feel himself being stroked and cradled, being told he was safe, he was just having a bad dream, that he should wake up, and again it was Optimus' rich steady voice.

Then her eyes opened and she remembered that Mission City was over, but that she had just relived it in a dream.

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As the last shreds of the dream fled her processors, she became aware that she was curled against Optimus' chest, her hands were clinging to him, and her legs were drawn up to his stomach. His own legs were drawn up behind hers, his arms were crooked to hold her to him, his hands curled about her back and shoulders, holding her protectively, soothingly, and Sam found that she didn't mind. In fact, quite the opposite: she felt safe in the Prime's embrace, he was warm, and she relaxed as he continued to murmur reassurances and promised to keep looking out for her.

One part of her wanted to mentally pull back the wisps of recharge, nuzzle into Optimus' warm chestplates and drop back down into a nightmare-free rest, but a larger portion of her mind recognised that she had recharged enough so she shook off the urge and sat up.

She felt an unexpected pang of disappointment when Optimus pulled back and stood up, and felt an odd sense of loss as he walked out into his office, but when he returned a few moments later, he was holding cubes of energon, one of which he handed to her. She was half-glad but half-nervous when he sat next to her on the berth, but when he did nothing more than drink his energon, she relaxed again and applied herself to her own cube.

When she next looked up, he was looking at her, but there was no intent in his bearing and she did not feel uncomfortable under that gentle cerulean gaze. That slight smile he rarely showed was back on his face, but whereas before she might have felt awkward, this time she did not. Something had shifted slightly between them, and Sam could not have said what it was, but she found herself able to be more at ease around Optimus. However, there was one thing she had to know, and she hoped Optimus had a good reply ready.

"When I woke, you were touching me, stroking me. What was all that about?" she asked, careful to keep any accusatory tone out of her voice. She didn't want to shatter this warm friendly moment they were sharing. Optimus shuttered his optics and inclined his head towards her, then unshuttered the optics again as he began to speak.

"When I entered the room, you had begun the recharge process, but you appeared unable to achieve the deep recharge you needed to refresh yourself. After confirming the reason for this, I used touch to enable you to discharge so you could recharge properly."

"Could I have that in English?" Sam asked, then recalling how the 'bots could be very literal minded, said "What I mean is that I don't get your explanation. How about you explain what you confirmed and what you mean by 'discharge'. Remember, all this is new to me."

Optimus sighed. "Perhaps I should explain what happened, from when you were in the practice room up until I discharged you." He paused, then continued.

"I first became aware of the fact that you were charged when I began practicing with Ironhide..."

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Sam let Optimus explain without interrupting, but when he had finished, she had questions for him.

"You mean I _smell_ when I get turned on? Are you the only one who can smell me?" she asked. Optimus shook his head.

"Anyone, mech or femme, can pick up the scent of another's charge," he said. Sam cringed.

"You mean...Ironhide smelt it, and anyone else I passed in the corridor?" she said, trying to remember if she'd passed anyone else between Optimus' room and Ironhide's armoury, and failing to remember anything about whether anyone else had been present.

"Yes, Ironhide smelt it, but as you met nobody else between there and my room, nobody else did, although none would comment on it if they had."

"And the only way to get rid if this 'charge' is to be touched?" Sam asked.

"To be stimulated by yourself or by another, yes," Optimus said. "This can range from simple touch, either in specific areas or general all-over caressing, by yourself or by another, up through to interface with another, with or without Sparkmerge." He paused. "Ratchet has also created devices for us to aid in self-stimulation. I am sure that if you asked, he could make a version for your own use."

'_Ratchet could make me a vibrator?'_ she thought, not sure if the thought horrified her or amused her or both. She had a sudden vision of Ratchet as the proprietor of a sex-aid shop, Cybertronian-style, and winced. _'Think I'll pass that one up for now,'_ she thought, and tried to get the unwanted images out of her mind by asking another question.

"You seemed to know the right places to touch to do what was needed. Is that because you have experience or knowledge of sensitive spots on femmes, or is that because they're the same in mechs and femmes?"

"Many of the spots are sensitive in both, however there are areas more sensitive on each gender, but it will even vary from 'bot to 'bot. For example, Bumblebee's and your shoulders will be more sensitive than Hound's because you have shoulder launchers, and thus more cabling running through your shoulders than he. However, Bumblebee also has doorwings, so his shoulders will be more sensitive than yours are, as you have no doorwings. The substance involved also affects sensitivity. Glass is more sensitive than plating, for example."

"So that's why Skywarp nearly collapsed when I electro-knuckled his canopy?" Sam asked. "I guess that's the equivalent of kicking him in the nuts?"

Optimus took an astrosecond to process Sam's remark, and chuckled with a nod. "Different location but same effect, but yes, knowing a foe's sensitive spots can also help you know where vulnerabilities lie."

Sam looked over at Optimus. "Would you mind if I touched you, by way of an experiment? I promise not to touch hard."

"Certainly, Sam," Optimus said, slightly puzzled, and put down his cube of energon. Sam did likewise, then shuffled a little closer, reaching out her hands a little hesitantly.

As her fingers gently brushed the window glass on his chest, he flinched and his vents stalled but far from unwilling, he reflected that it was good that Sam had reached this new stage, even if it was likely to end up with him having to dispel his own charge by self-stimulating. After all, any progress was better than none.


	12. Chapter 12

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Twelve.

Sam's fingers returned to the window-glass - a little firmer this time - hesitated, and then trailed over to the edges of the windows, where the glass met the metal, and Optimus allowed another silent sigh to escape from his vents. He was not sure how far Sam's experiment would take her, was expecting her to pull back at some stage, embarrassed or frightened as she had done in the past, but this was still progress.

As Sam's delicate digits traced around the door edge and then trailed over his side and up his back he lifted his arm to allow her access. He felt more than saw her shuffle around behind him, then felt both sets of digits explore his back, comparing textures and examining seams, and he lowered the arm as much as for support as because there was no longer any need to hold it clear.

Any moment he was expecting a jerk back, a stammered apology, but he was pleased when it didn't come. He knew that the longer this went on, the more likely Sam was to feel nervous, but at that particular point, he didn't care, had passed caring about that a few moments ago. He'd deal with that when it happened, but until then he was going to enjoy it!

He was jerked out of his revere by a com from Ratchet. _**'Not now Ratchet!'**_ he sent back before the medic, who was by now out of his recharge and currently on duty in the main Base hub, could say anything.

'_**Sorry, Optimus, but Starscream is calling the Base. He's asked to speak to you,'**_ the medic replied.

'_**You're the one on duty, you keep telling me to delegate, Ratchet and I'm delegating now. You deal with him, tell him I'm unavailable.' **_

'_**Certainly, Optimus,'**_ Ratchet said, but the flash of intent curiosity he sent down the link before he closed it told Optimus that the matter was not over. He knew that Ratchet would find Optimus' lack of availability unusual for him, and that coupled with the non-visibilty of Sam in the same period would have more than just Ratchet working out the facts. However, as Sam's questing hands reached up to caress his neck seam, Optimus decided he didn't, as the humans might say, give a damn.

He let his head fall back as Sam allowed her hands to slide round his neck and flatten against his upper chest, and couldn't keep the gasp from his vocaliser as she pressed the length of her wonderfully pliant and warm body against his back.

He was used to touching back long before this point, Optimus liked to consider himself a considerate lover and none of the subjects of his liaisons, mech or femme, had ever faulted him, but he was scared of frightening Sam off by responding. He noticed that Sam's touches were no longer tentative and shy, but firm and confident, and decided to take a chance on this. After all, was Sam really expecting her touches to elicit no reaction at all? The worst that could happen would be Sam getting frightened, and Optimus hoped that if there was one thing Sam had learned, it was that Optimus wouldn't hurt her.

As Sam stood on tiptoes to reach her hands further down his chest, Optimus bent double at the waist.

Sam let out a startled cry as her feet left the berth, and another as the Prime reached his hands around to tumble her off his back and over one shoulder, catching her in his arms. He saw her look up at him, startled and a little uncertain, and quickly sought to reassure her.

"It's not fair, you're not getting anything back," he explained, closing his arms gently around her, stilling his hands as he held her to his chest lovingly. He paid close attention to the level of tension in her body, the movements of her limbs, and was relieved when Sam shifted a little in his arms. There was no sudden jerk, no thrashing, no pushing away. She was, he theorised, merely making herself more comfortable.

He felt her hands settle once again on his chest, sliding up to his neck again, then she gave a quick wriggle upwards, and he felt her hands slide up his neck and settle gently on his audios. He could not hold back a cry and a tremor that ran all through him at this, for he numbered amongst the two-thirds of his kind who had sensitive audios. He tipped his head back to find Sam regarding him with wide optics, and at first though she was going to choose that moment to startle and shy away, but then he realised that Sam may have misinterpreted his cry.

"Don't stop, Sam, it's just sensitive," he managed to say, and his guess turned out to be correct, for Sam returned to stroking his audios, and he let out a little moan of pleasure as she slid her fingers up one antenna. He found himself wondering, in the small part of his processors still capable of logical thought, why Sam had not pulled back before now, when other, much more innocent touches had sent her into a virtual panic.

He carefully shifted Sam into the crook of one arm and used his free hand to caress up and down her back, lightly brushing one shoulder and her neck with just the tips of his fingers, and she let out a happy little cry at the touch. Turning his head a little, he found her stomach just on a level with his mouth, so it was a natural thing to turn his head a little more, lean in and kiss that beautifully shaped, plated and smooth expanse, and the little twitches and gasps the contact caused made him bold, and he began bestowing tiny, gentle kisses all over her stomach.

Her back arched and she let out a keen, and Optimus decided it was time they were both in a more comfortable position, before the need arose and they were both too far gone in their pleasure. Reaching his free hand up to help balance Sam, he leaned back and then rolled smoothly onto his side, settling Sam on the berth beside him, resuming his caresses with one hand and holding Sam gently to him with the other.

Sam, after pausing at the initial movement, wiggled her legs in a most delicious way before using both hands to stroke Optimus' antennae, and Optimus continued his kissing, but worked his way down her body. When his lips began touching her crotch plate she twitched and cried out, her hands tightening involuntarily on his antennae, a touch that made him cry out in turn. As he continued to tease sensation out of the sensitive armour concealing her port, she slid her hands back down his antennae and began caressing his helm.

She was beginning to shake and her cries were coming more and more frequently, and Optimus' own optics were beginning to white out. He slid his hands down and took hold of Sam's aft, pressing her gently to him as his glossa flicked out to trace along the joints and grooves on her stomach and crotch.

For Sam, inexperienced with such techniques, it was too much: she screamed and collapsed in her second overload of the day. Her own overload was enough to tip Optimus himself over the edge: his cry followed hers and he followed her into overload. He recovered long enough afterwards to tuck her securely into his arms, resting her head against his chest, before he happily entered recharge beside her.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

He was woken, hours later, by a com from Ratchet.

'_**I trust I'm not interrupting anything?'**_ he asked archly.

'_**No, not at all, I've just been taking a little recharge,'**_ he replied. Ratchet's response was a pointed silence, which the medic broke with a commed sound of amusement before it had a chance to become awkward.

'_**Ratchet, I don't know if you can shed any light on this or not.'**_ Optimus said. _**'I'm not complaining, far from it, but Sam seemed far more receptive to my advances than I was expecting, and didn't shy away as she usually does. Can you offer any possible explanation for it?'**_

'_**Thank Primus for that, it's about slagging time!'**_ Ratchet replied with a jubilant tone._**'I was beginning to wonder if the AllSpark had forgotten her programming!'**_

'_**What do you mean?'**_Optimus asked.

'_**All femmes come, in their adult forms, equipped with programming, which includes femme-specific programming.'**_Ratchet explained. _**'In other words, Sam's femme programming is beginning to overcome her human, learned prejudices and preconceptions. I think she's beginning to feel alright as a femme, beginning to accept her new gender. I was expecting it, but I had hoped it might manifest itself sooner.'**_

Optimus was about to think up a reply to that when he felt Sam stir, she was coming out of recharge. He cut Ratchet off and focused his entire attention on Sam, not sure how she would react when not curious about touch or under the influence of her charge.

She snuggled briefly closer to his chest, then unshuttered her optics. She seemed to take stock of her situation, and then pushed away from him. Optimus opened his arms a little, disappointed at her reaction but pleased to note it was a reasonably leisurely push away, not a panicked one.

"Um – Optimus, er, hi," she said. "I – um..." She ran out of words and abruptly looked away, finding something on the berth invisible to Optimus' sight suddenly absorbingly interesting. Optimus got the impression that if Sam could still blush, she'd be redder than the proverbial tomato.

"I would surmise that the experiment in touch was very successful," he replied. "You got empirical proof of how sensitive my body, at least, can be. I assure you that my reactions are a fairly good standard, I have few sensitivities not shared by most mechs."

It was an out, not a very graceful one, but Sam took it with both hands.

"Um, yeah, I guess so," she said. "Look, Bumblebee should be back from patrol, I should let him know I'm rested. Maybe we can fit in some shoulder-cannon practice."

Optimus nodded, and watched as Sam scrambled off the berth and almost ran for the door. Once the door had closed behind the femme, he sighed through his vents and sat up, re-opening the connection to Ratchet.

'_**Ratchet, what did Starscream want?**_**'** he asked, recalling the reason for the earlier interruption.

'_**He was talking about our Base defences. He didn't say so outright, but I think they've discovered the anti-warp field, because I got the impression he was fishing for information.'**_

'_**Then it must work, or we'd have found out otherwise by Skywarp turning up again,**__'_ Optimus replied, feeling a surge of both relief and disappointment. Relief because it meant Sam was safer, but disappointed because he now had no reason to suggest she recharge in his room.

Ratchet sent an assent. _**'Well, my stint in here is over, Mirage has just turned up to relieve me,'**_he said. _**'I'll advise him of Starscream's communication and what we've surmised, then I'll be heading back to the med bay, someone's bound to require my medic's skills sooner or later.'**_ The medic broke the communication, and Optimus leaned back with a small smile on his face.

Okay, Sam had still, upon waking, responded to his human preconceptions, but Optimus remembered their overloads, and couldn't help but feel that some significant progress had been made.


	13. Chapter 13

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Thirteen.

A/N: Thanks to Hummergrey for ideas used in this chapter and to my boyfriend, who made a remark that was so true I had to include it. And, yes, there's a plot twist here from my Muses that even _I_ didn't see coming!

As Sam moved down the corridor, she found herself turning over recent events in her processors. Why had she gotten embarrassed and nervous after the second overload? After what she and Optimus had gone through, after her doing the touching that got him aroused, why had she pulled back, made her excuses and left?

It wasn't fear, that much she knew. There were a lot of things she felt in the presence of Optimus, but fear wasn't one of them. She trusted Optimus not to go any further than she wanted him to, he had proven more than once that he wouldn't take advantage. As he stared to go past the medical bay, his steps slowed and then stopped. Ratchet might just hold the answers, but considering what Optimus had told her, could she sit there and ask him?

The image of Ratchet as a sex-shop proprietor came unbidden back into her processors and she tried to shake it off. She found herself wondering if Ratchet was needy himself, if that explained it. Now she came to think about it, the first thing Ratchet had said upon being introduced had been to announce to all and sundry that 'The boy's pheromone level suggests he wants to mate with the female.' Yup, now she came to think about it, Ratchet, it seemed, was obsessed with it.

She sighed. It seemed that Ratchet was the most likely one to know about why she seemed to blow hot and cold with Optimus. She walked into the mad bay, perhaps hoping that Ratchet wouldn't be there so the issue would be taken out of her hands.

To her relief, he wasn't there, meaning the best she could do would be to put the matter to the back of her processors and hope the problem went away. Yeah, that sounded good, Sam decided, as she looked around the medical bay and confirmed that Ratchet wasn't there.

As she turned, however, she heard footsteps entering and as she turned the corner there he was. As he stopped upon seeing her, she had to stop her optics from wandering to _his_ crotch, thought about looking at his face, decided against that as well, and was looking at one of Ratchet's shelves full of spares when the medic asked "Sam, it's good to see you. How are you? What can I do for you?"

"Um...ah...I've got a little...um...problem, and wondered if you could help me with it," she managed to get out.

"Well, just ask away, you have my undivided attention." It as then he noticed the averted gaze, the awkward wording, and accurately gauged that Sam was embarrassed, although not what about.

"Sam, don't worry about what you want to ask, I'm a medic, I've likely heard about whatever your problem is before, and likely much worse. I've heard it all before, just like if you need to show me, I've seen it all before."

'_Ah, but you haven't seen _mine_ before, and I'd rather not need you to!' _she thought but didn't say.

"Well, it's just that...um...Optimus and I, we...ah...that is...Um...we..." She tailed off, too embarrassed to continue.

"You interfaced? How far did you go?" Ratchet asked. Sam quite frankly felt like telling him to mind his own business, that was private, but instead he shook his head.

"No, we just, sort of, you know, touched each other, and yes, I liked it, but then I got nervous and ran out and I don't know why!" Sam explained, all in a rush, getting the admission over with as fast as he could. "Why do I at one point feel happy about stuff and then get uncertain. I mean I did enjoy it, it was...well, different, but nice."

"You overloaded?" Ratchet asked, and again Sam felt like telling Ratchet where to go shove his too-personal question and what to do with it once he'd put it there, but instead she nodded mutely.

Ratchet raised his eyebrows briefly and then lowered them again and moved forward past Sam so he could rest one metal aft-plate against one of his work tables and lean against it, immediately looking so relaxed that Sam found herself reassured. Maybe Ratchet really _had_ heard it all before. Perhaps her reactions were actually normal? She began to feel a bit foolish.

"Well, Sam, that question is open to a certain amount of conjecture, as your transformation from organic to mechanical _has_ been heard of before, although it happened only in myth." Sam shuttered her optics in disbelief: her change was real and right here, not a half-believed chapter in a Cybertronian fable. She was about to ask Ratchet if he had anything more solid, but quieted down when Ratchet carried on talking.

"The most likely reason for your conflicting reactions, in my opinion, is that your memories of growing up as an organic male, with your organic programming and societal pressures and preconceptions, are in conflict with your new form's programming. You remember and still have human feelings and thoughts associated with being a male who has the organic imperative to mate and produce offspring in your own image, but you also have Cybertronian femme programming that means you admire the forms and the strength of a mech, and the reasons may be closer to the human ones than we know, particularly in your case."

"Hold on a minute, what do you mean by that?" Sam asked. "I thought the AllSpark did all your reproduction for you? Why would femmes and mechs be driven to mate? And why _me_ in particular?"

"Sam, much of our early history is either shrouded in myth or so far back it is entirely lost, and the origin of the AllSpark is among this, Nobody knows if the AllSpark created us originally, or if we existed previously and then the AllSpark arrived, and the discussions around that are numerous, but useless for our purposes. The thing is, we can reproduce without the AllSpark in a manner similar to humans, so why should we not have the same drive for racial survival as any other race."

He paused, then began talking again.

"As for your second question, Sam, the AllSpark changed you into a femme, perhaps that was its way of ensuring our race continued without it. After all, you are the only femme on Earth, and although it's unlikely, you may remain the only adult femme on Earth for some time. Although others were known of on Cybertron, we've not heard anything from or about them since, They may all either be dead or fled, so you may be all we have to go on."

"You mean...it created me to _replace_ it?" Sam cried. "But...you promised me I'd not be forced, that I'd have the choice but...you all _promised_!" Sam said. While Ratchet was working out what Sam had said, re-running his own conversation through his processors and realising the conclusion Sam was reaching, Sam had already acted. Ratchet flinched as Sam dodged around him and accelerated to full speed, barrelling out of the medbay door.

"Sam, stop, we need to talk!" he shouted. When he got no response he switched to personal com.

'_**Sam, stop, we can talk about this, it's not how it sounds!'**_ he tried to tell him but a click told him that Sam had by now learned how to turn his personal comms off. Sam, it seemed, was in no mood to listen, or was in such a panic that she didn't believe him. He thought about giving chase, but decided that pursuit would only reinforce Sam's fears.

He swore quietly, a virulent and impolite Cybertronian curse word that even he used only for the worst situations, and this counted. He had just, by not thinking about what he was saying, put the fear of Primus into Sam, possibly undoing all the progress Optimus had made in showing her she had nothing to fear. He cringed inwardly. He was going to have to tell Prime, admit that he had scared his ward, and the thought of the dressing-down he would likely get made his Spark flicker, but he decided he'd better tell him before Optimus found out some other way. Anyway, Sam was still one of his patients, and it was Sam's welfare that mattered more than the medic's ego.

He opened a com to Optimus. _**'Um, Prime, we have a problem.'**_

Optimus, on the other end, was immediately alert. Ratchet's use of his title formally like this meant this was business, or news, and from what Ratchet had said, the news was unlikely to be good.

'_**What's up, Ratchet?'**_ Optimus asked.

'_**It's Sam,'**_ Ratchet said slowly_**. 'We were talking and I think I said the wrong thing and scared her.'**_ Optimus paused and said nothing for a moment. Then he commed back.

'_**Do you need me to reassure her? Where is she? I'll come and talk to her.'**_

'_**That's the problem, Prime, I don't know,'**_ Ratchet admitted. _**'She sort of ran.'**_

'_**Ran?'**_ Optimus asked. His voice hardened. _**'Ratchet, I think you'd better tell me what happened. Just what did you say to her that would make her run?'**_

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Sam fled down the corridor as fast as she could, thankfully meeting nobody on the way. Optimus, Ironhide, the little mech Cliffjumper, even Bumblebee, they were all mechs, all potential threats that she'd rather not risk meeting.

Why hadn't she seen this earlier? As the only femme, she was the only way they could reproduce now, and she didn't believe for a minute they'd let her choose one mech to have children with, no, they'd all want them, and being as long-lived as they were, they had plenty of time to devise ways of convincing her. No wonder they were all being so nice to her! How could she have been so naive?

She'd been told that on Cybertron it was taboo to force another, it was true, but that gave her little comfort. Presumably some of the Decepticons had once held that sacred too, but it seemed they had already abandoned the taboo, the kidnap attempts they had made were proof of that, and the Decepticons were just Cybertronians belonging to one faction. How long before some of the Autobots, too, began to shake of the beliefs of their dead world, especially if they felt that the continuance of their own kind was at stake. No, she wouldn't take it for granted ever again that she was safe with the Autobots.

She needed to work out what she was going to do. Where could she go to work things out? She had previously felt at home in Optimus' or Bumblebee's rooms, but not anymore. She wasn't about to go to Ironhide's armoury either because there was a good chance that Ironhide would be there. Wandering the Base to find somewhere was too dangerous as well, and that only left one place. She couldn't stay there too long because it was too obvious, but it might give her enough space to work out what to do and where to go, because it was obvious to her that she had to leave.

Changing direction, she headed for the only place she might remain hidden for long enough.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Optimus sighed through his vents as Ratchet finished explaining.

'_**We'll discuss this later, Ratchet, but for now we must work out where Sam might have gone.'**_ Optimus said. _**'First, I'll alert Cliffjumper on the gate that Sam might try to leave, ask him to stop her.**_ _**Then we must look for her and find a way of speaking with her, although I have an idea about that already.'**_

'_**But won't she be scared of us, even you now?'**_ Ratchet asked.

'_**Yes, which is why while you work out Sam's most likely location, I will call upon the person I think she'll be least scared of.'**_

'_**Who? None of us would make her feel safe. Perhaps a human? Maybe Captain Lennox or Sergeant Epps?'**_ Ratchet asked, but Optimus had already cut the com. He opened a new one to Bumblebee and briefly explained the situation, answering Bumblebee's offer to go looking himself with a negative.

'_**No, Bumblebee, no mech can help at the moment, not in this matter, Sam is likely scared of all of us, even you. No, this needs what the humans might call "a woman's touch."'**_ He paused.

'_**Bumblebee, I need you to call upon and bring Mikaela Banes to the Base.'**_


	14. Chapter 14

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Fourteen.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to whichever of my Muses decided to include this twist to the story! When I started the last chapter, this was not in the plan!

Ten minutes had passed, and Sam, crouched silently in a corner of the room she had first been given, still couldn't think of a safe place to go. Well, in that case, she might just have to get out first and then work out where to go. Opening the door she walked out – to see Optimus and Ratchet waiting outside.

She tried to dodge around them, but Optimus spread his arms to stop her. Trying to duck under them produced no effect either. Recalling that she was armed, she fisted her hands and went to strike the Prime, who managed to catch first one wrist then the other, and without warning he carried her into the room.

"Lock the door," he told Ratchet, who flinched, but did as he was told.

Sam had been about to set off her EMP device, but with nobody to help her and nowhere to hide she realised all it would do would leave her vulnerable, so she decided against it at about the same time as Optimus lowered her to the ground, let her wrists go and retreated to a corner. "I mean you no harm, Sam, but it is best we know where you are for your own safety," he said.

Sam also scuttled to a corner, cringing back in it, her optics wide and scared. Optimus wanted nothing more than to go to Sam and comfort her, but knew all this would do in her current state would be to scare her further. No, all he could do was watch and wait for Bumblebee to bring Mikaela to speak with Sam, in the hope that she could help resolve the situation. They had Sam safely contained, so she wouldn't dash off out of the Base and risk being caught by the Decepticons, anything else would have to wait.

He didn't see any harm in trying to talk to her, he might be lucky enough to get something through to Sam.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

'_**Bumblebee, have you found Mikaela yet? Have you explained what happened yet?'**_ Ratchet asked.

'_**Yes, and just telling her,'**_ the scout replied.

'_**Can you start back now? We've got Sam locked in her room, but the sooner you get back, the sooner Mikaela can talk to Sam.'**_

'_**Already on the way. Um...Mikaela wants to talk to you, Ratch,**_' Bumblebee said. His tone was wary.

'Okay, switching to vocal mode, put her through,' Ratchet said.

"Ratchet, you aft-headed, glitch-ridden, rust-for-processors piece of scrap!" she shouted once she was connected. Wincing, he dialled the volume right down, even as he heard Bumblebee say "Mikaela!" in a shocked tone of voice.

"Hey, hold on Mikaela, there's no need for that language!" Ratchet said.

"Oh, isn't there? What would you be saying if it were Ironhide who'd said something stupid, like you have, to a new femme who's still getting to grips with being alone in a base full of mechs?"

Ratchet thought a moment. Yes, what he would have called Ironhide in this position would have been just as bad he admitted, in fact worse, as he had deliberately avoided teaching Mikaela some of the coarser examples of Cybertronian language, some of the Lower Kaon Valley dialect words for example. "Okay, point taken," he grumbled.

"Ratchet, why did you say all that to Sam?" she asked, a little calmer now. "You yourself pointed out she might get scared when she first changed, remember?"

"I didn't think, opened my vocal processor before my cognitive processors, I'm not used to watching what I say around people, it's been many millennia since I was in the diplomatic services. As a medic, I'm used to pretty much speaking my mind, and most of the Cybertronan femmes I've known would have got mad, not scared." He sighed. "I just didn't think."

Mikaela sighed in response. "Well, I guess it doesn't do any good to yell at each other," she said "but I'm on the way, so hopefully we can soon get this sorted out."

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

"Sam, I promise I'm not going to hurt you. Have I ever broken my word to you?" Optimus said.

At first he thought Sam was too scared or too upset to answer, but a few moments later she lifted her head, and although she did not meet his optics, she did shake her head in response. Well, it was progress.

"Then why did you run, Sam?" asked the Prime. "I know that Ratchet let his vocal processor run away with him, but he could have phrased that far better, and put it in context."

"Because I don't want the rest of my life to be reduced to just having and rearing sparklings!" she said. "Ratchet told me that the AllSpark changed me to make sure the race continues, and I really don't want your race – well, our race – to die out, but I don't want to be the only one responsible either!"

"Sam, your life is yours, what you do, and when – and yes if – you have sparklings must be your own choice, and we will have to live with that choice, whatever that may be. As I told you, forcing another is taboo in our culture."

"Something the Decepticons have managed to forget or ignore," Sam pointed out. "You and they are the same race and the same gender. What's to stop you and the other Autobots, in a year, ten years, a hundred years, from doing likewise?"

"Sam, I can promise you that I, at least, will never turn to forcing anybody. As a Prime, as a protector, I have sometimes had to deal with the consequences, I have sometimes had to deal out justice to those who have taken another who was unwilling, be they mech or femme. It is part of my duties, my responsibilities. If anybody here on the Base tries to force you, I will be duty bound to do justice, whatever that may entail. Anyone who wishes to serve under me must be willing to follow my rules, and observing that taboo is one of them."

Sam's optics travelled up as Optimus spoke not just to Sam, but seemingly to the room at whole, his deep voice ringing with sincerity and feeling. Her optics met his, and once again she was startled by the intensity and beauty of those glowing visual receptors. She could, too, see the Prime's sincerity, and this surprised her. Humans, it was true described the eyes as 'the windows to the soul' but she was surprised to find that mechanical optics could be as expressive and emotive as organic, human eyes.

In that moment, she knew that the Prime spoke the truth, and a warm feeling of trust and love for him warmed and spread in her chest, and she began to uncurl, ready to throw herself into his arms and ask him to hold her and protect her-

Then a small but sharp knock on the door brought both back to their surroundings, and the moment was gone as both broke the gaze and looked at the source of the noise.

"Sam? It's me, Mikaela, can you let me in?" Optimus looked briefly at Sam, who nodded assent, and Optimus unlocked the door and opened it, all with one com.

Mikaela walked in, took in their positions, moved to the middle of the room, standing between the pair, and turned to Optimus.

"What are you doing in here, you big lummox! You're the biggest mech on the Base, you lock her in here with you and then wonder why she's scared? Geddout, scat, shoo!" She extended her arm, one forefinger pointing at the door. Optimus rose to comply, but Sam shook her head.

"No, Mikaela, let him stay. I think he has as much a right to participate in this as I, and it'll save you running back and forth between us as message-girl." Mikaela looked at Sam, then back to Optimus, who nodded, and then back to Sam, and relaxed.

"Okay, Sam, I've heard Ratchet's side of this and I'd like to hear yours. How about you tell me what happened from your point of view?"

"Indeed," Optimus said. "I too have not heard all of your side of this, and I am, as the humans might say, all audios."

"All ears," corrected Mikaela, "though you've done a good job of changing it to reflect your differences."

"Whatever," Optimus said, surprising Mikaela with his use of the term -the flippant expression did not sound quite right coming from Optimus - "but I still would like to hear what happened."

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The explanation soon morphed into a discussion that showed exactly how clueless Optimus was about human relationships (although he'd picked up some very peculiar ideas from the Internet) and how equally, if not more clueless about the Cybertronian equivalent Sam was. At first, Mikaela tried to provoke discussion on both sides, hoping that each could tell the other what the other needed to know, but it soon became too confusing, and she became concerned that something might get missed. She called a halt to the discussion, and asked Optimus to com Ratchet (who had left once Mikaela had gone in.)

Ratchet got there fairly quickly, and she invited him in.

"Sam, would you feel comfortable if Ratchet were to share the room with you for a bit?" she asked. "Just long enough to explain to you what you need to know about?"

She turned to Ratchet. "Look, remember Sam knows almost zip about being Cybertronian, and about Cybertronian family and relationships. Look, tell him whatever you'd tell whatever your equivalent of a teenager is, who's becoming old enough to ask and old enough to need to know about sex, interface, whatever you want to call it."

She levelled a finger at Ratchet. "I don't just mean the medical and mechanics of it, I mean the emotions and feelings involved as well, and any further taboos. Tell her everything, even if it seems obvious. Don't be scared to give her the idiot's guide, I'd rather you tell her stuff she knows than that she miss out on something she needs to know."

She then turned to Optimus.

"We are going to your room. Sam used to be a human and you need to be aware of what prejudices, taboos and cultural pressures Sam has grown up with, plus about human sex, the mechanics, the feelings, the relationships, and the dos- and- don'ts. I'll give you the Department Of The Bleeding Obvious version too, so hopefully you can understand why Sam's a bit skittish."

She sighed as Optimus nodded meekly and picked her up to take her to his room.

She allowed herself a rueful grin. She would never, ever have thought she'd be giving the extended version of The Talk to a life-form who's existence exceeded the age of the Earth itself.


	15. Chapter 15

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Fifteen.

A/N: Once again, much thanks to Hummergrey for ideas used within this chapter. 1 vorn = 83 human years

As thoughtless as Ratchet had been about his earlier phrasing, he was far more careful when it came to informing Sam about Cybertronian relationships, Sam decided.

The green mech carefully placed Sam on a worktable and backed off well out of arms reach, before beginning to project holograms . His voice took on a familiar (to Sam) lecturer's tone as he explained about ancient Cybertronian history, myth and legends, religious tenets, and scientific theory around the AllSpark and Cybertronian reproduction.

In spite of herself and her nerves, Sam found herself getting quite interested in the subject matter under discussion. One or two subjects made her raise her metal brow ridges, and sometimes she had to raise her hand to interrupt, making her feel like she was back in school, but Ratchet was patient, and thoroughly – sometimes too thoroughly – explained anything that Sam queried.

She didn't ask Ratchet everything, there were some questions she felt that only Optimus could answer, and these she filed away for future reference. This was something else beneficial Sam found about her new form: forgetfulness was not common in Cybertronians, and when it occurred, it was treated as a major problem, and with her new method of memory storage, Sam could understand why. Her human, forgetful mind was now just a memory, and she wondered how she'd coped before her transformation. She could also, it seemed, multitask, but decided not to push that during this explanation, and turned her full attention back to what Ratchet was telling her.

"So whether you take the religious view, the general secular view, or the scientific view, the result was still the same, that the AllSpark began to be used more and more for reproduction, and as it did so, mech-femme reproduction became frowned upon. All the feelings and respect and emotions were there, but interface began to be seen more as a recreational activity instead of reproductive necessity. As such, the records of the effects of reproduction on the mech and the femme have been lost, and I suspect not all of these losses were accidental."

Sam put her hand up again. "Why? I can understand the religious view was that Primus sent the AllSpark to replace femme births, but why did even the non-religious become opposed?" she asked.

"Again, only a few records exist from that distant time to be sure, but I have a hypothesis. I think that once the technology to prevent femmes from carrying was developed, and became widespread, it became seen as – _vulgar_ – is the only word I can find to describe it – to reproduce by the original method," Ratchet explained. "At first, AllSpark sparklings were reserved only for the very rich or the very important, but over time it became apparent that the AllSpark had seemingly limitless power, and it became allowable to permit an AllSpark sparkling to somebody not rich or of the elite." Ratchet sighed, shifted position, and continued.

"As society evolved, and more and more people were permitted access, particularly after the building of the Great Dome was finished, and the AllSpark Guardians were established, it became fashionable to have at least one AllSpark sparkling. Once the contraceptive mechanisms for femmes were created, it also became fashionable for any femme Creator and any femme Sparklings she had, AllSpark-created or not, to have them installed. It became a badge of rank, of sort. Femmes were proud to possess them, it implied that they were special enough not to need mech – femme Sparkmerge to reproduce." The medic lifted one shoulder in a sort of shrug. "Which implied that said method was undesirable, or at least not to be admitted." He gave another one-shouldered shrug. "Within twenty vorns, being femme-born became something you did not admit to."

"That's daft!" Sam exclaimed. Ratchet nodded, he agreed entirely.

"The AllSpark usually only produced a femme every two to four hundred mechs Sparked, and nobody is sure why," the medic continued. "Femmes used to be treasured as a result, but as attitudes towards their ability to bear changed, so did the way they were perceived. After a while, some families considered femme offspring to be a curse rather than a blessing. It is also notable that in the five vorns before the AllSpark was sent into space, the ratio rose to one in every fifty. My personal opinion is that the AllSpark would not produce femme sparks, or at least would not make them able to create Sparklings, via a merge, if it was not meant to be." He inclined his head to Sam. "I also think that in the five vorns in question, the AllSpark could see or sense what was coming, and produced more femmes as a failsafe."

"Then why has it done this to me?" Sam cried. "Does that mean that I _am_ the only femme left? Am I expected to take on the AllSpark's role?"

Ratchet rushed to reassure Sam, for the young femme's agitation was causing her to reconfigure into battle mode, her armour rising up to cover her more vulnerable parts, her weapons beginning to deploy.

"No, Sam, I'm not saying that. It may be that there are other femmes on their way, but that the AllSpark decided to create one extra failsafe. It means that at least one femme exists on Earth, along with us mechs. It may be that you will settle for just one mech, and then it is likely that you will have at least one femme sparkling. And remember, we are very long-lived. Even if you only chose to have one sparkling every three vorns, you would still end up with quite a sizeable family. Also, the few records of femme-births that do survive suggest that, as in human families, the mech-femme ratio of sparklings created this way is fifty-fifty."

"What if I choose nobody, and stay single, go with nobody?" Sam challenged the medic.

"Then that is your choice, and we Autobots will accept that," Ratchet said, and although the medic did not state it, the obvious conclusion Sam drew from that was that the Decepticons would likely not be anything like as accepting.

Sam nodded for Ratchet to continue, and wondered if Mikaela was finding it any easier to teach Optimus about human relationships.

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Mikaela blew a strand of her hair out of her eyes, rolling them as she managed to answer one of Optimus' questions, only one of several dozen she hadn't even guessed he might ask. How could the big guy be so old, so wise, and yet, in many ways, so clueless, all at the same time?

"We still seem to have so much in common, "Optimus said, still sounding confused, and Mikaela bit down on an urge to scream at the Autobot leader. Here she had been for the best part of an hour, trying to emphasise how important it was that the Prime focus on the _differences_ between their species, but all he could focus on was the _similarities!_ Looking for common ground was all very well when attempting to resolve a conflict, she supposed, but making love contained far more pitfalls than making war, and it was important to respect those differences that mattered.

"Look, big guy, we may have a lot in common, but there's so much we _don't_, too. Humans, be they male or female, don't come equipped with armour and weapons, so something _you_ may not find threatening can seem very threatening to a human, especially a girl, and Sam probably still feels very vulnerable, even with his weapons and armour, because she's not used to having them! Believe me, there have been times in my life when I would have been grateful for them, but because I didn't, I had to do my best, and sometimes that wasn't enough."

At Optimus' quizzical look, she ducked her head, the words tumbling out as she tried to explain her statement. "I know we have a taboo against forcing others, but it's not quite as taboo to some humans as it is to you Cybertronians, and Sam will be aware of that, just as I am." As Optimus opened his mouth to ask the question she knew he was about to, she gave him a fierce glare. As different as they were, even Optimus could recognise that the look meant that the subject was closed. Much as he wanted to ask, he knew that he should not, at least not right now. Instead, he closed his mouth and nodded.

"Taboo although forcing is, the taboo could be broken, and that is one of the reasons that the 'Prime's Own' custom was created," he explained. "Because Sam's human customs may inhibit her, I have tried to be as careful as I can. I promise to let her dictate the pace anything happens at, and accept that nothing may ever happen. Such choices happen, although rarely, amongst our kind, and it is usually accepted. The war fragmented us morally as well as physically, but if Sam wishes to go through her life without ever fully interfacing, or bearing, that is her choice, and we among the Autobots will respect it." He smiled as he saw Mikaela finally realise that he _had_ taken in everything she had said. "We do have our differences, but we are similar in more ways than is immediately apparent."

She flinched as a holoform took form beside her, and she watched in amazement as Optimus changed its build, skin tone, clothing and colouration. When he had finished, she had to admit that however he had researched attractiveness among humans, it had worked: the handsome blonde, tanned muscular figure facing her was almost giving her palpitations. She had seen Optimus use holoforms before, but this was as far from his rugged, checked-shirt, stubbled forty-something trucker holo as you could get! She realised her face was flushing, and she searched for words to explain it, but couldn't. In fact it was Optimus – synchronising his voice with the holo – who spoke first.

"You have shared intimacy with Sam, Bumblebee has told me, so may I ask you to share your knowledge with me? Show me on the holoform how Sam liked to be touched, and perhaps I can touch you back with it and find out where Sam may like to be touched, as a femme."

Mikaela was at first rendered speechless by this blatant request, and spent a whole five seconds working out how to pay Bumblebee back for his indiscretion during his next valet at her father's garage. Loosen his wheel nuts, steal his spark plugs, wash him with saltwater... then she pulled herself back together.

"Can you do that?" she asked, her curiosity overcoming her indignation. "Holos are just light, aren't they?" Optimus chuckled, and reached forward, and took her wrist in the holo's hand. To her surprise, as it tightened its grip, she could feel it.

"We can use tractor beams and their opposite, pressor beams, to make them seem solid enough," he explained. "It's all very well to _look_ authentic, but occasionally we need to _feel_ real as well," he explained. "I may not be as skilled as Hound, but I promise to be careful."

Her head whirled as she thought about it. She had to admit that the holoform was highly attractive, and she technically _was_ single now that Sam was a femme. She had to admit that she had a technical interest in finding out how realistic Optimus' holoform was, she could even correct him if he made errors, and if Sam did eventually decide to go with the Prime, she could work out the bugs, as it was, just as she would with any piece of electrical equipment of his, now she had moved beyond just cars with Ratchet's help. This would likely be helpful to Sam, so why not? After all, Optimus and Sam technically were not dating, and he _had_ said she was one of his femmes. Was it possible that she...?

"Can I be one of the Prime's Owned as well?" she asked breathlessly, completing the question aloud. Optimus' answer was an amused chuckle, and she felt the holoform move closer, take her in its arms and gently lower her to the floor.

"Why not?" he asked, and she noted with satisfaction that he managed to mimic warm breath against her ear. She briefly wondered how, then decided she didn't really care. As holographic lips, also warm, brushed against her own, she decided that the how didn't matter, what was important was that he _could_ do it. Her hands rose to clasp firm holographic shoulders, and she pressed her body up against one that felt as firm as her own, and as she breathed a cry of desire, her world shrank until all she could feel was her body and his pressing against each other, his hands and her hands touching and exploring each other.

The last vestige of protest disappeared in a sudden wash of lust and desire.


	16. Chapter 16

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Sixteen.

A/N: Once again thanks for ideas and inspiration from Hummergrey for parts of this chapter.

Mikaela moved her head, wondered where she was, and then, as she saw hot blue optics gazing into her own, remembered. She smiled and stretched lazily, and had to admit that Optimus was very, very good. Very gentle, very skilled, very careful, and with a little advice from her, she was sure he'd be able to take the right pace and the right tone with Sam. Her smile spread into a wide grin as she reflected that if Cybertronian femmes were anything like human women, Sam was going to find the way she'd experience sex as a femme would be very different – and possibly more pleasant - than as a man.

She sat up, put her hand to her head and said "Okay, I think I've got a few tips I can give you about Sam, but before I tell you them, do you have any more questions?" She really wanted to ask if they could do that again some time, but decided there was time enough for that. Right now, Sam was who mattered. She wondered if she'd be able to get to him to tell him that if his sensations were anything like hers, he'd have nothing to fear from the Prime.

"Yes, I do, I have eighteen more questions to ask and three things you mentioned that I want to query," he replied. Mikaela sighed, shutting her eyes briefly, massaging her temples as a headache threatened. It was time to get back to work.

"Okay," she said, "ask away..."

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Three hours after entering the medbay, Sam was glad when the tone of Ratchet's voice changed, indicating that the intimate Cybertonian anatomy lesson she was currently undergoing was about to end. Among all things Sam had never imagined Cybertronians and humans might have in common, labelled anatomy diagrams were among them. She now knew far more about the physical properties, functionality and appearances of interface equipment, both mech and femme, then she had ever wanted to know. She was looking forwards to slipping off and getting the subject matter at hand out of her mind and replacing it with something more enjoyable and less embarrassing. Sam had to admit that what Ratchet had told her was instructive, but some of the rest was just way too much information.

As Ratchet pointed at the last item on the 3-D cutaway holo of the femme's array, Sam dutifully repeated the name, and then stood, ready to leave, a thank-you on her lips.

"Wait, Sam, take these," he said giving her two objects she couldn't even guess at the function of. One looked like a thick cylinder the length of her arm, the other resembled...

As she suddenly guessed just what these were, Ratchet confirmed her worst suspicions.

"These are some of the self-stimulation devices Prime told me he had mentioned to you." He pointed to the cylinder. "That is an example of the one I give to the mechs if they want it, just so you know what it is, whereas the other is a prototype of an equivalent device for femmes, in case you want to try it." He seemed not to notice her attempts to push the items back at him, but just said "You seem to be in a hurry, so you'd better go. Keep them as long as you like, and have fun!"

"Could I have...like a sheet...or a tarpaulin...you know, to wrap them up in?" At the medic's raised metal eyebrows she said "To make them easier to carry?" The was no _way_ she was going to walk down the corridor with the sex toys exposed for all the Base to see, but she doubted Ratchet would understand her embarrassment. Thankfully, he didn't query her request any further, but found her a large sheet of material to wrap about them. Once that was done, she got out of the medbay as quickly as she could, hurried down the corridors, replying hurriedly to greetings from a few mechs she met, and shot into her room. Dumping the items in the corner, she busied herself with thinking of questions she could field to the Prime.

He was thankful that when Mikaela found him, she was so involved with telling him about how the talk with Optimus had gone, and suggestions that she had for Sam, that the wrapped bundle in the corner remained unnoticed and unquestioned.

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Sam had come up with a few questions of her own that only Optimus could answer, but at first she didn't get a chance.

Although the Decepticons seemed to have run out of ways to try and get at _her_, they were soon spotted sneaking around the environs of Nellis, something that made the human generals nervous. Four times Optimus was asked to take out some of his mechs and challenge them, but after the fourth time it seemed the Decepticons got the message and stayed away. However, two new flyers were observed leaving with the Command Trine, one very large and one considerably smaller.

Once that had been sorted out (and the reams of associated paperwork had been signed, checked, countersigned and sent off) a report came in of two new Autobot arrivals who were landing just that night. Because of the increased Decepticon activity, and because the initial protoform was the most vulnerable form of a Cybertronian, Optimus again set out with a team of mechs to deal with any trouble – such as Starscream or Barricade - the new arrivals might meet. Thankfully they met no such trouble, and when Optimus and his team returned, they introduced Sam to the new arrivals, who were called First Aid and Bluestreak.

As First Aid's name suggested, he was, like Ratchet, a medic, and once the introductions had been made Ratchet almost dragged him off for a tour around the medbay and to be brought up to speed on current events. Sam had been hoping to talk to Optimus after that, but as Optimus wanted to debrief Bluestreak first, she headed off to practice her aim in Ironhide's armoury with her shoulder cannons for lack of anything else to do.

It was in there that she met Bumblebee, who was doing the same thing, and for a short time they practiced together, vying to see who could hit the target most accurately. Once they had finished there, Sam didn't want to leave Bumblebee, so accompanied him to the rec room. Bumblebee politely got Sam an energon and sat by her on the sofa, but was soon drawn away into an animated discussion on the use of holograms in battle with Cliffjumper and Hound.

Sam didn't really have time to get lonely, or a chance to creep off for a talk with Optimus, because just as she was deciding she'd stayed long enough to be polite, Blustreak, obviously through with his debrief from Optimus and his medical check with Ratchet, came in the door. His optics darted around the room, found Sam, and settled on her. The big grey mech wandered in, got himself an energon, sat next to Sam, and began engaging her in conversation.

Sam soon found out two things: Bluestreak had a tragic tale to tell involving how he had come to join the Autobots, and that he could talk about it for hours. Sam listened, partly to be polite and partly because she felt sorry for Bluestreak, but her mind began wandering even as she listened to his story and patted him comfortingly from time to time.

Bumblebee managed to extricate himself from his debate long enough to see that Sam was being monopolised, and swiftly moved in, politely telling Bluestreak that Sam was tired, and reminding the big mech that he might want to take some recharge himself before steering Sam out to her own room.

Sam spent five minutes there before deciding that she didn't need recharge as much as she needed to talk, and headed out towards Optimus' room.

She commed as was polite to announce her presence, and received Optimus' answering comm almost immediately, and went in as invited. The Prime was stood, pouring two cubes of energon, gesturing for her to sit on a chair opposite his desk, pushing one cube over to her side before seating himself in his own chair, taking a mouthful of energon, and then regarding her with a steady gaze over the lip of his cube.

"It seems there was much I needed to consider about you that I was not aware of, Sam," Optimus said.

"Yeah, I guess, and stuff I wished I'd known about being Cybertronian that I'd known earlier," Sam replied. "But I guess you were all so occupied with telling me what you _thought_ I should know that you missed out stuff I'd have _liked_ to."

It was a long speech for Sam, and a silence fell after it, Sam wondering if she'd gone too far as it began to become uncomfortable. Optimus gave a nod, putting down his energon just as Sam was about to apologise, and said "Do you have anything else to ask that I can answer for you?"

"Actually yes, I have," Sam told Optimus, glad that he had raised the subject because she hadn't known how to. Something Ratchet had said and briefly explained had caught her attention, but it wasn't something she was about to ask the medic. "Ratchet stated that Cybertronians can be taught about interface, usually by an older individual chosen by the Creators or by the person themselves, but he didn't elaborate. Can you explain more about that? How far does the teaching go? Is it merely verbal or is it hands-on? What does it involve? How is the request made?" Once again, Sam was glad that being mechanical now made her unable to blush.

Optimus didn't answer right away, instead he indicated the energon he'd obviously drawn for Sam, and stood, taking a few measured steps first one way and then changing direction and walking the other way. Sam had noticed this tendency of Optimus' and guessed he was just one of those sorts of people, okay, mechs, that thought better while moving around than while sitting. She sat patiently, giving him time, but determined to say something if he didn't reply soon.

It was a few minutes later that Optimus turned from pacing to sit back in his chair, taking another mouthful of energon as his optics caught and held Sam's own. Sam herself took a few nervous gulps of the glowing liquid in the cube she held as she waited for him to speak, which he soon did.

"Sam, it is believed in our society that any form of interface, be it brief and casual or long and intimate, should be pleasurable for both individuals," Optimus said. As the big mech settled himself in his chair, leaned forwards, and rested his forearms on the table, Sam recognised Optimus' lecturing pose and resigned herself for a long and complicated response. Then again, she _had_ asked, and she'd rather she got too much information than not enough. That had caused the problems last time!

"The most intimate form, involving the interface equipment, the valve in the femme and the rod in the mech, can be particularly unpleasant for both parties if undertaken in a rushed or inexperienced manner. There are rumours that some inexperienced mechs and femmes, who tried it and found it unpleasant for that reason chose not to try it again as a result," Optimus continued. "It is considered particularly important, therefore, that a mech or femme's first intimate interface is as pleasant as it can be made to be, so that they know it can be pleasurable if done properly. That way, even if subsequent experiences are less pleasurable, the mech or femme is aware that it can and should be enjoyable, and thus is not put off."

The Prime sighed, took a mouthful of energon, leaned back and sighed. "On Cybertron, teaching was undertaken by somebody with a certain amount of experience in interface. There were people who taught for a living who could be employed to teach a member of a family who wished to learn, while other families might employ the services of a pleasure-bot or older friend. As a last resort, the Creators of the mech or femme could undertake the teaching, although it was not encouraged, for a number of different reasons."

"Incest?" Sam squeaked, feeling a small shudder run down her at the thought of her father or mother trying to teach her, practically, about sex. "And dare I ask just what a pleasure-bot is?" She knew what it _sounded_ like, but she didn't want to risk misunderstanding anything of this conversation.

"As Ratchet would doubtless explain to you, in detail if you wished, incest does not exist either as a concept or as a taboo in our culture." Optimus said. Sam shook her head: that wasn't what she wanted. "Our Sparks cannot become inbred as human biological material can, and Creator-Creation interface is not taboo, but merely disapproved of in general. Cybertronians are supposed to expand their experiences, and a Creator acting as a teacher does nothing to further this and also means the Creator can be considered to have too much influence in their Creation's life."

Sam nodded: the idea still creeped her out, but it wasn't something she'd ever have to worry about: even if somehow her parents became Cybertronian, their own taboos would stop them even thinking of it, so she decided not to worry about it. "And pleasure-bots?" she reminded him.

"Humans have equivalents, they are known as sex workers, prostitutes, gigolos, escorts, practitioners of the oldest profession, and other terms that I believe are less polite." Optimus said.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Whores, prozzies, ho's, and soforth." He looked back at Optimus. "So your people entrusted their nearest and dearest to prostitutes?" he asked.

"Some did, Sam. You must remember that interface, even the intimate form on our world, does not have the same connotations it can on your world. It is not seen as something shameful or dirty, or only to be performed between bonded couples. We do not carry diseases as you know it: yes, some mechs and femmes may carry Trojans or processor viruses, but none would be spread by interface fluid or the act of interface, not unless data was also exchanged, and most of us have self-updating anti-virus programming. Yes, some mechs and femmes did install programmes to infect others, but these were mainly activated if someone was, as rarely happened, forced. However, it is not something you would likely to have to worry about, at least not from any of us. But I digress. Being a pleasure-bot on Cybertron was seen as being as respectable a profession as a soldier, or an AllSpark Guardian, or even a medic, historian, or data-processor."

"So, teachers of interface were either trained individuals, pleasure-bots, or family friends?" Sam asked.

"Or sometimes respected members of the community." Optimus said. "Almost anybody could be used to teach about interface, provided they had enough experience, and the one to be taught is agreeable to being taught at that time and by that person."

"What about you?" Sam asked. "Would someone be allowed to ask you to teach, either them or someone under their care?"

Optimus nodded. "Yes, I can and I have. In this time of war, it has become increasingly common for a unit leader or commander to undertake the responsibility of teaching young mechs and femmes who wish it, and as a Prime, it also was asked of me much in peacetime. However, although someone can ask on behalf of another, that other must be the one who wants it. It must be at a time of their choosing, and with whom they choose." He leaned forwards again, resting his arms on the table again, and Sam took the opportunity to lean forward and take one of those hands in both of her own.

"I want to be taught, Optimus, and I want it to be by you," Sam said, looking Optimus in the optics, hoping he could see the sincerity of her request.

"Sam, are you sure?" Optimus asked. Sam nodded.

"Yes, Optimus. I don't know what might happen or how I might react in the future, but I trust you and don't want any more misunderstandings. It's the not knowing that I find the most frightening, but if you teach me I'll know, won't I? I want to be taught by you, Optimus, and I'd like you to teach me now if you have the time."

Optimus nodded, remembering to turn off all his comms, internal and external. This would need to be handled carefully, and he didn't want any interruptions. He carefully stood, Sam still holding one of his hands, his almost-full cube of energon in the other, and walked around the desk next to her.

"Then if you are certain, Sam, shall we go to my berth? I believe it will be more comfortable than the desk."

Sam gave a laugh as she turned towards Optimus' recharge room.

A/N: The next chapter ended up almost twice as long as this one. The options I have are to either find somewhere to split it into two (unequally-sized) chapters, or to post it as one large chapter. The choice is yours, post your preference in a review or a PM. Do you want one long chapter, or should I split it into two shorter ones?


	17. Chapter 17

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Seventeen.

A/N: The word "interface" can be used, as Phoenix13 explained in the story inspired this story, as the rod in the mech ('He sheathed his interface') the port in the femme, ('in her interface') or the act itself (the interface was enjoyable for them both') Also, derma are lips, and the glossa is the tongue.

Sam was a little puzzled at first when Optimus made no further moves, just stood looking at her and holding her hand. Was Optimus getting cold feet about teaching her, she wondered? Hoping not, she tugged on his hand and took a few steps towards his room, and found he followed quite willingly. She suddenly remembered him stating that the choice of time and person to teach her must be hers, and she assumed that Optimus meant that the pace would also be set by her.

Slowly she led him into his back room, and he put down the energon on a cabinet by the berth. He then surprised her by gently placing his hands about her waist, and lifting her until she was seated upon the berth. He caught her hands in his and his optics caught hers too, holding her gaze and asking silently if she was still sure about this. Sam nodded her head almost imperceptibly, suddenly aware of his warm hands holding hers, the air whooshing through her vents, and the flicker of what must have been her Spark in her chest.

His head dipped and the optic contact was broken as she felt his metal lips brush hers lightly, then return to press slightly harder to hers. Then he lifted his head to catch her optics again, the same question in his own. Again she nodded slightly, and he dipped his head again, his lips pressing more firmly against hers, his hands rising lightly to touch her shoulders, not tightly to hold her but loosely to support her and loose enough so she could pull away. Her own hands rose to slide up his arms and it was she who gripped firmly to him.

Sam could not explain her actions, they were not born of her processors but of her Spark. Her processors did put up a brief fight, but it was over almost as soon as it began, her emotions overriding her last human male prejudices. Her derma pressed against his as she tightened her grip on his shoulders, and she used him to support her as she stood, so that her hands could reach up further, and she broke the kiss in order to caress his helm.

This action prompted a surprised gasp from Optimus' own vents, but his hands did not stall or falter, reaching around to her back, half in caress and half in a clasp. She did not cease her caresses but continued them, thinking that she would never tire of stroking his armour, which although it was hard enough to protect him from most attacks was smoother than anything she could recall touching before.

It was different from when Sam had caressed Mikaela, and not just because Sam's role was reversed. Mikaela's skin was smooth too, but sometimes she got goose-pimples, or small scratches. Goose-pimples were not part of a Cybertronian's make-up, and what scratches Optimus got either self-repaired or were repaired by Ratchet, and felt quite different to human scabs. Add to this the firm but yielding flesh of Mikaela's body versus warm but unyielding Cybertronian hide, and although some comparisons between stroking Mikaela and stroking Optimus could be made, the sensations were otherwise very different!

Mikaela had given him some advice, based on her own experience of being female. "Remember what I did to you that you enjoyed, and try doing the same thing with him, and even try some of the things you know I enjoyed, well, where you can with a robot," she had suggested. "Remember, he's not human, you don't know where he might be sensitive. Explore, carefully of course, but find out if he's got any place sensitive, no matter how unlikely it would be to arouse a human. And if he does something you don't like, say so! He's an alien, so expect the unexpected."

Okay, first things first, things he was familiar with, and with that in mind, she dropped down into a kneeling position. Optimus clasped her tighter until he realised her apparent collapse was intentional. In this position, her face was level with his abdominal plating, and, hoping Cybertronians were as sensitive there as some humans, she leaned forwards and began to shower kisses on the corrugated structure.

Optimus' vents stalled again and he twisted, a chuckle escaping his derma, and Sam, realising the light kisses might be tickling him, pressed firmer, her hands stroking and exploring his sides as her derma pressed against the plating.

One thing Sam had discovered by self-exploration early on was that although some Cybertronians had tongues (Ratchet had used the term 'glossa') the environment inside the mouth cavity of a Cybertronian was dry. The glossa was very slick to the feel with some sort of super-smooth coating, but it was not wet. Hoping again that Cybertronians didn't mind using different parts of their body, she began touching his hide with it, at first hesitantly, with just the tip, then with more confidence and using more of the glossa as the whines and cries from above left her with little doubt that the big Prime was enjoying it.

For his part, Optimus was beginning to wonder who was teaching whom. That was the second move Sam had made that he was unused to but that he found extremely stimulating.

Suddenly remembering his manners, and that he was, indeed, supposed to be teaching, he closed his arms around her in a gentle embrace, and slowly, without any sudden movement, reclined onto the berth on his back, holding her in place atop him. He was more than happy for her to be on top, for he was very aware of the size discrepancy between them, and did not want to scare her by looming over her. An additional advantage was that as his hands did not need to support himself, or her any more, they were free to do other things. Once his hands no longer needed to support her, he began using them to stroke her back and sides, occasionally trailing one finger up to tickle her shoulders or caress her face.

After a short time, he transferred the attention of one hand to her lower body, using it to caress her feet, her legs and her aft. He knew that he himself was fairly sensitive around the legs, and as they were more than half his body length it would be surprising if they weren't, but he thought it might be similar with her.

He took it slowly, for teaching should never be rushed, and as he stroked and gently squeezed he was also alert and attentive, ready to stop or pull back if Sam gave any indication that she was having second thoughts, or was feeling pushed, or wanted to stop. He knew what the signs of such might be, and was ready to react if he felt her tense, or flinch, or resist anything he was doing. He kept a watch on her face when he could, alert for a look of fear, a dilation of the optics that had nothing to do with desire, but was pleased to notice that there had been no sign of such, at least not so far.

She had stopped probing his abdomen with her glossa now, and instead her fingers began trailing along his seams, something that was just as stimulating, and he allowed a sigh from his vents to be audible to let her know he was enjoying the sensation, as his hands continued stroking, caressing, gliding over the contours of her smooth and lean body. As she flicked a quick look upwards, he wanted to put his arms around her and slide her up his body so he could reach to kiss her derma and face, but as this was a teaching, he resisted, for this was meant to progress at her pace or not at all.

When her hands stopped caressing and instead pushed against his abdomen, he immediately stopped his touching of her and lifted his arms up so she could, if she wanted, slip off him without feeling restrained or confined. He supposed that, as Sam had so recently been a human male, second thoughts or fearful feelings were only to be expected. However, Sam did not try to get away, but crawled up his body until her head and his were almost level. As her hands began tracing circles on the glass on his chest, she craned her neck up towards him.

He gave a deep bass chuckle as he replaced his arms and allowed his hands to continue their caresses, now understanding the human idiom 'great minds think alike.' Bending his own neck, his derma brushed over her moulded hair, then her forehead. As she pushed herself up and out from him just a bit further, he was able to lightly kiss her burnished cheek, and then they were derma to derma. He kept his kiss light, so it was Sam who was the first to deepen it, the Prime following her lead.

She wriggled a bit, and Optimus recognised the movement as an attempt to get into a more comfortable position. He carefully broke the kiss, gently slipped his hands under her arms and lifted her up to assist, as she brought her legs up until she was straddling his wide chest, her upper legs almost at right angles to her body, her lower legs crooked at the knees. As she lowered herself down again to kiss, her hands began tentatively stroking his neck.

He bucked slightly beneath her as her touch sent a frisson of pleasurable sensation down his cables, and to his embarrassment, he could feel himself quickly becoming aroused as the touch seemed to send a signal from his neck straight down into his crotch. Quickly he tried to damp it down: he was supposed to be teaching her, and he did not want his own arousal to make him rush this. When, he wondered, had he become so easy to arouse?

He returned his attention to Sam as her glossa flickered in and out of his mouth cavity in a most distracting manner. Optimus wondered whether Sam had done her own research on the Net, or whether she had learned this from the clearly far more experienced Mikaela while they were an item. As he reached for Sam's own neck, and made gentle contact, Sam twisted and moaned into his mouth under his experienced touch. He recalled that Mikaela had also proved to be sensitive there, something else, it seemed, that humans and Cybertronians had in common.

As Sam twitched and faltered, Optimus' sensitive olfactory organ picked up the first traces of her arousal scent. As Sam began pulling back Optimus released her, disappointed but resigned to having to finish himself off for another night.

"Um, sorry, I...um...I think I've kinda...wet myself," Sam said, and Optimus felt a rush of relief as he realised Sam was not frightened or unwilling, but embarrassed, and this he could explain to Sam. No doubt Ratchet had explained about femme secretions, but he thought it unlikely that he'd explained it in a way that Sam might associate with the sensation she was now having.

"Sam, all Cybertronians, be they mech or femme, will not lose control of their waste lubricant drainage system unless the mechanism is damaged, and I think that as new and untested in battle as your new body is, that possibility is extremely remote. I think it is more likely that the stimulation of your sensors is sending signals to your body to release a different lubricant, one associated with physical interface. Mikaela told me that such a reaction is normal in human femmes as well. Do not fret: I would be more concerned if your body was not reacting."

"Um...yeah...well...right, okay," Sam said her embarrassment obvious, although she lay back down. "Well, what happens now? I assume if my body is doing that, it's ready for the next stage?"

"Only if your processors are also happy to move on," Optimus clarified. The incident seemed to have affected Sam's confidence and her arousal had visibly diminished, but Optimus had an idea what to do about that. Shifting onto his side, he settled Sam in the crook of his arm and smiled gently down at her. "Are you thirsty?" he asked. She nodded a bit uncertainly, not sure what was going on.

Optimus reached over to the cube of energon he had left on the side earlier, a precaution he always took when teaching in case he needed to distract his pupil, or if they needed a break. He dipped two fingers into it and withdrew them, slick and dripping with energon. He moved the fingers over until they were hovering above Sam's mouth, the drips falling onto her derma. When Sam did not react, he moved the fingers to her mouth, smoothing energon around it and then drew them back. "Then why not drink, Sam, the energon is available."

The touch of the Prime had been gentle, and Sam hesitated just a moment more before tentatively running her glossa over her derma to lick up the energon. Optimus reached over again for more energon, and repeated this procedure two more times. The third time, however, instead of just drawing back his fingers, he leaned in to kiss her energon-slick dermaplating, drawing back and licking off the energon on his own with a smile and a wink.

"Ratchet would accuse us of playing with the energon like the messiest sparkling, but he's not here," Optimus chuckled. Sam smiled back, her nerves dissipating, just as Optimus dipped his fingers again and rested them on the space left between her derma. Sam could feel the energon trickle into her mouth, and was unsurprised when she felt Optimus press down. She did not resist, opening her mouth to allow the digits entry.

Her glossa curled up to lick them as Optimus moved them about, the movements part to allow the glossa to curl about them and partly as a caress. Sam had never seen the mouth as useful for much other than kissing or licking, so to be caressed _inside_ the mouth was a new experience, but not an unpleasant one, in fact, she found it curiously arousing.

Optimus withdrew his fingers, to Sam's disappointment, but only to get more liquid, and when they returned, Sam eagerly allowed them back in her mouth. This time her glossa did not just lick the energon off, but curled and prodded at the fingers more in a sort of caress. He, for his part, left his fingers in her mouth for longer than it took for the energon to be licked off, twining them with her glossa, stroking at her dentaplating, the insides of her cheeks and roof of her mouth, touching gently, stroking and lightly probing. As he began to slowly withdraw them, Sam played along, nipping the ends and trying to catch them with her derma, laughing as he pulled the fingers back in mild surprise. Looking into her optics, he could see her arousal was returning.

Optimus resumed touching Sam around the shoulders and neck and a shiver of desire shuddered through her frame as the expert fingers sent wave after wave of pleasurable sensation down her neck. Her optics contracted, widened out a bit and then seemed to flicker. If Optimus was any judge, she was as ready as she'd ever be.

"Okay, I think now's about right," Sam said, and Optimus' audios picked up the tiny tremor in her voice, and analysed it as his optics flickered all over her frame ,and his olfactory sensors registered a strengthening of her arousal scent. He identified the quiver in her voice as anticipation rather than fear, and she was not shaking or trying to push or turn away from him. All to the good. However, he still had to make sure Sam knew that she did not have to go on. Having that assurance would, he hoped, be a comfort to her if she did baulk.

"Sam, this is not a point of no return. If at any point you wish to stop, just say so."

"Just get on with it won't you?" Sam asked. "Stop being a tease." Her hands returned to cling to his shoulders as she arched to push her body against him, and through that contact he could feel the heat running through her frame. He ran his hands down her body a few more times, twisting himself onto his side, and then reached down towards his crotch-plate. He hesitated, looking up at her to be sure she wanted this, but she seemed more interested in nuzzling his shoulder and - he gasped – gently biting down on some of his armour edges. He carefully released the clasps and lifted his crotch plate aside.

The movement registered with Sam, who shifted, pushing away, and at first Optimus thought that this time she might well be having second thoughts, but as she pushed herself down and then leaned back, he realised, as he put the crotch-plate aside, that she just wanted to take a look.

It didn't look particularly impressive: the metal was matte rather than polished to a high shine, but in the same way a racing car engine is matte: it still looked good, such a high-tech piece of machinery didn't need to be shiny for its functionality and lines to show. It was made, alternately, of thin plates of metal and rings of metal that overlapped and nested together, linked by what could have been a more malleable metal or a different substance, which appeared to connect the different parts of the structure together, which had the appearance of a cylinder.

As Sam watched, it uncurled from where it had rested, and began to erect, much as the organic penises of human males did. As she watched, it lengthened as metal plates and circles came out of the middle of the cylinder and built up on the end, making the cylindrical protuberance lengthen. At the same time it seemed to turn, almost like the iris if Optimus' optic, narrowing the cylinder, which was visibly more slender at the tip than at the base. It was now a good foot long, and Sam wondered if it would be too large.

Optimus seemed to read her thoughts.

"It will, if there is not enough room for it, retract enough of its length so it will not hurt you. It will also increase or decrease it's circumference as needed. It will adapt to be certain that it fits. Now, how about we take a look at you?"

He didn't move his hands, just looked at her queryingly, and at first Sam was nonplussed but then she remembered.

'_My own pace, right, okay, he won't remove it unless I give him permission. So either I've got to take it off, or,-'_

She looked up at him, her vents hitching. "Would you take it off?" she asked. She could do it herself, but he and Mikaela had always preferred to undress each other, it made it more sensual this way. She gave a slight chuckle: she supposed for Optimus this was akin to Sam removing Mikaela's panties when he was still human, still male, still her boyfriend.

Optimus smiled gently back, and he carefully reached down. One hand spread against Sam's back and pressed her gently to his body: not to confine - if Sam pushed back he'd let go – but so he could feel for negative responses to his action, such as stiffening, struggling, tensing or shaking. As he felt none, he brushed his fingers against the crotch plate, once, twice, a third time, just to make certain she was sure. Sam emitted a high-pitched cry, and squirmed against him, but Optimus' audios detected that the sound was not of fear, but of desire, as was her twisting movement against him**. **

Taking his cue from that, he undid the catches of Sam's crotch plate, one by one, slowly, so that if she wanted to pull away or stop him, she could. She did no such thing, and he took the plate and carefully put it aside, noting that the inside was slick with interface lubricant. Sam pulled away, and Optimus pulled his hand back, aware that even now she might feel the need to back out, but no, she bent double – one advantage Sam had found with her new body, increased flexibility, Optimus supposed – and had a look at her own port.

Optimus was slightly surprised – he would have thought she would have looked at it alone, earlier, but then, maybe she had, or maybe she was just curious as to how it looked now. Optimus bent his head to look too, noticing that her port was so slick with lubricant that it was dripping. Her arousal-scent was strong here and heady, and a lesser mech may have seized hold of her and taken her without thought, but Optimus was a Prime, had taught many, and his success was partly down to his careful self-control. He understood that sensuality and foreplay was very important, sometimes more important to the femme than the mech. Simply impaling her on his rod or thrusting into her without further ado was never Optimus' way. He could be dominant or submissive, swift or excruciatingly slow, but the femme's wants, needs and desires were always at the top of Optimus' sexual agenda. But there was something else that needed to be taken care of first.

"Sam, are your comms, internal and external, turned off? It would not do to be interrupted at a crucial moment."

Sam checked, her optics flickered, and she muttered "They are now!"

Sam continued watching as Optimus extended one digit and touched the area around the slick port. Sam gasped, watching and writhing in pleasure, as he drew the finger first away and then towards the wet opening of Sam's femininity. He touched with a finger, raised the finger to his olfactory organ and inhaled deeply, her arousal perfume – subtly different from any others – catalogued and stored in his processors. No two femmes smelled alike, he'd recognise Sam's scent across a packed room until his permanent deactivation. Then he lowered the digit slightly, slowly reached his finger into his mouth, and ran the tip of his glossa over it.

His other hand had gently settled on Sam's back, and he felt the jolt that went through her at the action, and knew she had to be just moments away from an overload. He shifted, rolling to his side and making sure their crotches were level, and hoped Sam herself would make the next move, as he stroked her back in a fashion both reassuring and arousing.

Sam, for her part, was adrift in a world of confused desire. Had she felt like this as a human, she would have suspected her drink had been spiked. As it was, although she couldn't be sure, she didn't think Optimus had put anything in the energon, the cube had originally been drawn to be drunk by him, well before she had requested teaching. Her processors, however, were clear, but all concurring: interface with a mech this arousing, this considerate, this careful, this incredible, was very much a good idea. To turn away or change her mind now would be a very big mistake.

She let out a cry, clearly needy, as he twisted to put his interface rod within reach, and she reached out with both hands, quelling the slight protest the last vestiges of her humanity put up about both she and Optimus being male. She stroked that strong yet oddly flexible mech appendage, and now it was Optimus who cried out with desire, Optimus who found his processors telling him that not to interface fully with this femme would be a bad move for both parties. However, there was still that part of him that reminded him that he was a teacher, he had to let Sam be the one who made the move that would link them, however briefly, in the physical act of interface.

Anything of Sam that was human or male had either been banished by her system, or was lying very low. She bent to lay kisses on that warm, strong yet flexible mechhood, and as the tip dipped further as the Prime rolled further onto his side, Sam raised her own groin, put the mouth of her well-lubricated port to the tip of his interface rod, and slid herself slowly but steadily on to it. To her surprise, as long as it had looked, she managed to take that foot-long appendage into herself with no tightness, awkwardness, or pain.

Optimus cried out as he felt his rod enclosed by her warm and moist valve, his voice rising with hers. They both began moving, rocking, backwards and forwards, the lubricant provided by Sam's body allowing easy movement. Feeling erupted from Sam, her port suddenly the centre of everything, all feeling flowing from it into her arms, legs, neck, back, head.

It was not so different for Optimus, except that his interface rod was the centre of his universe. It was as if Sam were secreting sensation into his rod with every pulse, every contraction of her valve, around his willing interface. From there it seemed to erupt into his limbs and body, into every sensor, setting his hide a-tingle and his processors ablaze. He arched as Sam did, she clinging to his waist, him with his hands against her back. He reflected slightly that she would need to learn about Spark-merging as well, in a separate lesson, and regretted that her size made physical and Spark interface simultaneously impossible, for when it was, it was hugely satisfying for both parties.

Because Optimus' private comms were off, and because the intercom in his room was off, Optimus was not informed that unexpected landings had occurred. Because it was not a medical emergency, nor a situation that demanded intervention, Ratchet did not go to Optimus' room and manually gain entrance. Because nobody thought that Sam might need to know, nobody tried to inform Sam when things around the Autobot Base began to get a bit more interesting for all the mechs there. Because Ratchet was suddenly inundated with work and other things to concentrate on, Ratchet could not assist when it became obvious that, despite his instructions, the Prime was about to be disturbed.

Sam and Optimus were aware of nothing else except each other as their physical interfacing reached its climax. Neither of them heard the door of his quarters, the lock overridden via a specific security-cracking virus, open. Neither of them were aware of the visitor to Optimus' quarters who silently padded over to the desk, quickly drew a cube of energon, and then slipped into his room and watched as the pair overloaded with a mingled scream that could have roused the Matrix and the Pit combined.

It was Optimus who regained consciousness first, groaning and shifting to draw free of Sam. He was used to recovering first, used to drawing energon for his pupil to replenish the energy spent during interfacing. He took a cleaning cloth from out of one leg, cleaned his rod with it, which then shrank down to normal size and snugged into the depression built for it. He didn't at first register the significance of reaching for his crotch plate to find it placed into his outstretched hand.

Only when Optimus had replaced his crotch plate, wiped Sam's own crotch clean, and replaced Sam's armour, did he register the pink and white legs next to his berth. A groan told him that Sam was reviving, but his attention by now was elsewhere. His optics travelled up the legs to find they were joined to a familiar crotch, and body, with familiar arms, and hands, and neck, and face. As his processors caught up with his optics, and his vocaliser engaged, he was able to speak.

"E-e-Elita?" he stammered.

As the imposing femme, who was as tall again as Sam replied "One and the same," Sam groaned and covered her face. Ironhide had told her that Cybertronian femmes were famous for three things: their beauty, their skill at fighting, and their tempers.

As the femme Optimus had named as his bonding-intended asked "So who is your friend, Optimus?" Sam had a sneaking suspicion she was about to receive firsthand experience of the third.


	18. Chapter 18

For The Race-Prime Protector.

Chapter Eighteen.

Optimus seemed not to hear her question at first. He sat up and stood, reaching his hands out to clasp the pink and white femme's shoulders gently.

"Elita, my beloved, you're here!" he exclaimed in delight. She swiftly embraced him back, then pulled away to look at Sam again, and then turned back to Optimus. As she coughed, tapped his shoulder politely, and elegantly indicated Sam's cringing form with one delicately-tapered finger, Optimus noticed Sam seemingly for the first time as she curled up, hoping her armour could protect her against Elita's wrath, which would surely be turned upon her at any moment.

"Elita, this is Sam Witwicky, and I have been teaching her, as she requested," he said.

Elita looked at Sam, then back at Optimus, raising one beautifully-crafted pink eyebrow.

"That is not a Cybertronian name, Optimus. Care to explain?" she asked casually. As Optimus' optics flashed, and hers flashed a second later, Sam guessed that her history, as both a human mech and a Cybertronian femme, had just been databurst to Elita. She hoped some of the details would mollify the femme.

"Ah, so that's how she came about, I imagine it was rather traumatic for her," Elita said. "And why is she cringing?" Turning towards Sam again, she asked him "What are you scared of? Optimus would never harm you, and if you trust him enough to teach you, you must know that."

"Well, no, I'm kinda scared of _you_," Sam admitted. Elita's face became puzzled.

"Me? Why? Do you have reason to believe I mean you harm?"

"Well, yeah, this is your mate, and you've found us, kinda, having sex?" Sam said.

"He's been teaching you. That is his duty if he is so asked, and if he himself is willing. I do understand that."

"Check the human Internet." Optimus advised her. "Humans have a different outlook on sex and relationships."

Elita's optics flickered as she accessed the Internet, and Sam saw her twitch slightly, her faceplates altering to flicker between surprise, horror and amusement before she turned back to face him.

"We are not like humans. I will not attack you for being taught by my -" she paused, "'boyfriend', I believe would be the human term. Or perhaps 'fiancee'. It is actually a compliment to me that Optimus is so sought after, it means I chose well." She gave a quick smirk. "Although I know that already." As Sam thought she was about to be let off the hook, Elita turned to her. "You do understand that Optimus and I intend to be bonded very soon?"

Sam remembered Optimus explaining his regret at not bonding with her earlier, and felt a wave of relief that Optimus would be able to rectify that error.

"Um, yes, Ma'am, please, he was just teaching me as I asked him to, I don't mean to make any claim upon him," she said. "And good fortune be on you both!" she blurted out. Elita nodded, and gave her a small smile of gratitude.

"I think Optimus still has much to teach you, Sam Witwicky. I am glad that you were here to give him something else to concentrate on: he does tend to worry. I am also glad that you needed teaching, and that you asked him to teach you. Too long without interface and he gets grumpy, and I do hate having to deal with a grumpy Prime."

"Elita!" Optimus protested, and Sam guessed that if Optimus was a human, his cheeks would be crimson. The bigger femme gave Sam a wicked smile, and Sam smiled back. Then she turned back to Optimus, her face serious again.

"On the subject of teaching, Optimus, my ward has expressed an interest in being taught. I recommended you, so do not be surprised if she asks. I'm not sure if Chromia's ward will want teaching too, but then Chromia may recommend her Ironhide." Optimus nodded. "And while we're on the subject, Optimus, do you have any more femmes here?" she asked.

"There is one, but she is a human. She discharges her part of being a Prime's Owned to me by washing and polishing me, and you'd be surprised how good a conversationalist she is." Optimus told her. Elita's mobile eyebrows shot up.

"A human? You _have_ been deprived of Cybertronian femme company, haven't you?" Sam thought she caught a slightly disparaging note in Elita's tone.

"Mikaela's not just some woman he's taken pity on, she's strong and fast and she'll fight, even against robots six times bigger than her." Sam said sharply. "She decapitated Frenzy, used a truck to be Bumblebee's legs when they were bombed off, but knows when to act and when to keep out of the way. Perhaps you should meet her before you dismiss her?"

As Elita turned to look at her, her body and limbs rigid and her optics blazing, Sam wondered if she'd gone too far, after all she didn't know this femme and had just told her off. As Optimus touched Elita's arm, her stiff posture relaxed slightly, and she incined her head.

"You're somewhat outspoken I see, but in this case I believe you are in the right. Prejudice is never a virtue, and I recognise it in myself. I will meet this human, after all if Optimus is willing to give her Prime's Owned status, there must be something special about her." She looked at Optimus. "Have the Decepticons been particularly active on this world?" She switched her attention back to Sam. "And do they trouble you much?" she asked. "As a small femme, I imagine they see you as an easy target."

As Optimus nodded, Sam said "Explaining the whole story would probably take the next few days,"

"Oh?" she asked, rising one fine eyebrow again. "Then databurst it," she suggested, and gave him her comm codes. Filing her comm signal away, Sam sent Elita her memories of the Decepticon attacks on her person, as Optimus sent Elita his own memories of Mission City, the reports of the attack in Qatar, and what he saw of the attempts on Sam.

"The AllSpark is destroyed?" she asked in dismay. Optimus took her hand even as he used the free one to help Sam into a sitting position.

"I am afraid so. I am afraid it is a situation that puts all femmes in danger, you and Sam both, for although I am confident that all _my_ mechs will obey the old taboos, as you have just seen from our experiences, it seems that Starscream and his followers will not."

"Well, I think that Sam may benefit from the tutelage of my team," she said. "Firestar is old enough to become a member in her own right. With Sam's permission," – here she inclined her head to Sam - " and with yours, Leader Prime," - here she nodded towards Optimus – "I will take Sam as my new ward, and train her until the Decepticons know better than to attempt to lay hands, - or any _other _part of their anatomy – upon her person."

Sam, guessing what 'other parts' Elita was likely to be referring to, had to stifle the childish giggles that tried to bubble up as she solemnly nodded to Elita. She turned to Optimus, hoping her phrasing would be okay to this tall femme who was offering Sam the chance to learn to protect herself, and to Optimus, whom she had accepted as her protector so many weeks before.

"Elita, I, Sam Witwicky, accept your offer to tutor me in the ways of fighting, to become your student in all applicable ways, as long as this is acceptable to Optimus Prime, whose protection I accepted before your arrival." He hoped that he had remembered all that might need to be taken into account considering all that had happened recently, without figuratively, if not literally, treading on anybody's toes.

Both Elita and Optimus nodded, and then Elita spoke.

"Well it's a long time since I've been addressed so formally, but then, for me, it is a plus for the human species if your politeness comes from them. I digress. Sam Witwicky, I believe it would be to your benefit to be integrated into the femme team that I command, so you can be be taught what you need to know. You will be taught how to attack others if the need arises, to effectively defend yourself against various forms of attack, both close-up and ranged, and to work with the team against our foes. If you and the Prime agree, then I ask you to come with me, to be my ward, and to learn all we have to teach." She cocked her head. "Perhaps I should ask this 'Mikaela' if she'd like to be included if she's as good as you say she is. Small size can, in certain situations, be an advantage."

"I, Optimus Prime, have heard and agreed to be witness to the agreement between Elita-One of Iacon, Cybertron and Sam Witwicky, Nevada, Earth." Optimus said. "I agree, with the consent of Sam Witwicky, to give her tutelage to Elita-One, while not withdrawing my protection to the team, either as one entity, or as individuals, as their situation may necessitate." As Optimus moved his head, Sam could have sworn that the Prime winked at her. "Elita, and all those under her command or influence, will be Prime's Owned, with all the benefits owed to them and to the Prime that such a relationship entails, unless one or all reject my claim."

Sam stared, first at Optimus, then at Elita. He was surprised to see her nod. He commed her so as to avoid either offending or embarrassing Optimus, or showing her own ignorance to the Prime.

_"__Should I not worry, or should I take cover before you nuke him, melt him down, or however you treat people who have pissed you off?'_

Elita's private laughter was light and unconcerned.

'_Sam, perhaps the position of Prime's Owned does not translate into your language?'_

_'No, it has been explained to me, but now I'm confused. You mean he's allowed to take other femmes to his berth, you're kinda engaged, and you don't** mind**?' _Elita laughed_,_ and switched back to normal communications.

"Sam, the position of Prime is not something Optimus can set aside from, or resign, or choose to give up. If femmes need or desire his protection, it is his duty to give it." She gave a short laugh. "Of course, I could step in and insist he does not take his traditional right, to take any femme he chooses into his berth, but that seems a little unfair. I'm not a jealous femme, and the fact he is still willing to bond with me shows his commitment. I also know that often he chooses more than one femme to go with him, but if I am present, I am usually on the list. As far as I am concerned, the price is cheap. Often he will just want someone to hold, and two or three more, to warm his rather substantial berth." She chuckled a little. "He feels the cold, does my Oppy." She grinned. "And it can be quite entertaining, as part of a group, to warm him up."

"Oooo-kay," Sam said, deciding she'd had enough education on berth warming, at least for that day. "Maybe I'll find out one day, but for now I'll take your word for it." She stood, and stumbled slightly, Optimus and Elita catching her. Optimus looked at her.

"Interface, partiucularly the intimate kind, can be quite energy-intensive. You should have a rest, perhaps recharge, have a word with Ratchet, he'll find you a recharge berth."

"Well, now that's settled, may I suggest that you get yourself some energon and perhaps take a rest in the medbay, while Optimus and I see to some unfinished business? I think he'd like to debrief me." Elita said. She gave him a 'look' and Sam nodded, hiding a grin and giving them a wave as she left. She has to admit she'd been told to get lost in far more direct - and unkind – language before, so Elita's politeness, at least, was a plus. Sam quietly suspected that Elita's 'debriefing' would be a lot of fun for them both, and was likely to take a fair amount of time. She wondered if she could get Mikaela to run up a "Do not disturb" notice for Optimus' room door.

As she wandered into the medbay, she heard Ratchet call "Hey, Sam, how did you find the toys I loaned you?"

Sam opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, Bluestreak popped his head out from behind a set of shelving. "Oh, hi Sam, has Ratchet given you some of his fun tech as well?" he asked. "Need a hand finding out how it works? Where shall we meet? Your room? Eight 'O clock okay for you? I'll see you then but I gotta go, Prowl has me down for patrol duty." Before Sam could utter a single syllable, the big talkative mech was gone.

Sam opened a com to Bumblebee as he did a U-turn out of the medbay.

'_Hey, buddy, mind if I hide out in your room for the next week?'_


	19. Chapter 19

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Nineteen.

A/N: Apologies for the late update: about a week ago my main computer upped and died on me, it is in for repair meaning that I am restricted to cybercafe and an only-just-capable-of-connecting notebook. So if my updates are slow, forgive me, it's not my fault!

Two months later.

Starscream didn't know why he continued to monitor the Banes fleshling's cell phone, as he had received very little information of interest while listening in. He also was not certain why the Autobots had not adapted it to scramble any calls she made between any of them and her. He supposed that he kept listening because they were still trying to crack the Autobot's latest code, and until they did, it was the only possible source of information, although little of tactical value had been gained so far.

He was very glad that he had when the Banes femme made a call to Ironhide to find out how the anti-warp field overhaul was going, and his audios pricked up.

"It's going fine, Mikaela, I think I'll have the field back up within an hour," the weapons specialist replied.

"I might drop in later, if that's okay, will Sam be able to see me, or is she spending time with Optimus?" said Mikaela.

"Oh no, Optimus is going to be dealing with human generals all day," Ironhide replied. "Sam's just finished weapons practice, she went to her room, said she needed a rest. She'll probably still be in her room when you come in. After all, she can't be in there while Optimus is briefing the generals. I'll let her know you're coming over."

"Thanks, Ironhide, I'll see you then. Bye!" Mikaela signed off with a click.

'_Skywarp! Get over here now!'_ Starscream commed his dark wing brother. With a pop of displaced air Skywarp, who had been out flying patrol, appeared beside the Decepticon Leader.

"You called?" he asked.

"The anti-warp field is down for overhaul at the Autobot Base and the femme is unguarded while Prime deals with the human military. If we both go, we can both make sure she is subdued swiftly, and make off with her before the Autobots even know we are there!"

Skywarp smiled darkly, and his hand rose to touch his cockpit where the scratches from Sam's knuckle spikes were still visible, faint but there. "Indeed. She and I have some unfinished business. No, I won't harm her, but I will want time to go with her. I think she owes me."

"Well, let's go, the field is down for a limited time, and they are unaware that we know that. If we can make it quick, we may have several hours before they realise she is gone." Starscream said.

"I still have her room co-ordinates on file, I'll warp into her room. Set your blasters to stun, with luck you can hit her before she can raise the alarm."

Starscream set his arm blasters to the required frequency, then wrapped his arms around Skywarp, who took flight, and then, with a muted pop, vanished.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Ironhide was sat at the tactical station, watching the readings intently. As a certain energy spike was registered by the Base's sensor network, he leaned forward and flipped a switch.

He gave Mikaela, who was now sat next to him, a straight-mouthed grin. "As you humans might say, 'the game is on,'" he said.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

The two Seekers appeared in the room, and in the dim light could see Sam's slender form lying on her berth, a light cover drawn over her as far as her shoulders. She didn't stir. _"What luck!"_ Starscream thought, _"she must be asleep!"_ He did not hesitate and raising his arm, he stunned her. The two moved over to the berth and Starscream grabbed the femme, wrapping her limp form within the blanket. Funny, she was lighter than he remembered, but he wasn't about to query it, it was time to get out of here!

Skywarp crooned happily as he took a secure grip on Starscream and his precious bundle, but his smug look turned abruptly to panic.

"Starscream, I can't get out! They must have raised the warp field again!"

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

"Okay, they're trapped and they know it, Elita said to the six femmes with her in the room next door. "Keep weapons on one of them at all time, I suggest that Chromia, Firestar and Arcee train weapons on Skywarp, the rest of us target Starscream. Stun only, we don't want to kill them, not this time. Now, let's get in there and start things happening."

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

"Okay, let's try and get out on the ground, perhaps we can use this one as a hostage," Starscream said. "They won't want to risk us killing their only femme, we'll lose our advantage of surprise but still have the upper hand. What is it the humans say? 'Possession is nine-tenths of the law?' They won't risk her, they're too fond of her."

As they moved towards the door it opened, and to the shock of the two Seekers, a group of femmes trooped in. All were pretty, a sight for starved optics, all had a little smile on their faces, all were armed, and all had weapons pointed at either Starscream or Skywarp.

"Get back!" screeched Starscream "or we'll kill Sam!"

"She's not their only femme, I don't think that will work," Skywarp said.

"They still care about her!" snarled Starscream. He turned back to the femmes. "I mean it, back off and let us leave unmolested or we'll kill her!"

"I don't think so, somehow, as she's with us," Elita said, standing aside from the door to allow Sam to enter, her shoulder canons activated, a new shiny Autobot symbol on the right upper part of her chest.

"But-then-who is this?" Starscream asked, his confusion evident. He scanned the form he held as Sam answered.

"That's Samantha, she's my body-double, no spark or processors I'm afraid, but otherwise she's not a bad copy. Ratchet took casts and made her, Sunstreaker did the paintwork. She's lifelike, isn't she?"

Starscream's scans confirmed what Sam had told him: the femme he held had enough parts to make her look realistic, but there wasn't even any complicated electronics or spark chamber let alone a spark, and not even the vaguest semblance of a port. No wonder she had seemed light! Starscream threw the fake femme down in disgust and crossed his wrists at neck level in the Cybertronian sign of surrender.

"Well, if you stand down your weapons and come with us, we'll take you to Optimus' office for energon and a talk." Elita said.

"Yes, follow us, to Optimus' office." said the green femme who had her blaster pointed at him. She lowered it and said "We'd really prefer to see you as honoured guests rather than prisoners. Optimus has an offer he'd like to make that might benefit us all. He, and we, have a – proposition – to offer you." As she turned to walk out of the door, Starscream stared as she paused in the doorway and threw a 'come-hither' look over her shoulder. Was she _really_ wiggling her aft at him suggestively?

Both he and Skywarp decided to comply. It might be interesting to find out what Optimus was suggesting, and it beat being thrown in a cell. Once Elita's scans confirmed that the two Seekers were standing down their weapons, she nodded to the rest of the femmes and put her own blaster away as the others did likewise with their own armaments.

They all filed out, three femmes taking the lead and four, Sam amongst them, trailing. Starscream couldn't take his optics off the green femme who was one of the leading three, - or off one particular part of her anatomy - because if she wasn't deliberately moving it, her walk gave her aft a permanent sexy wiggle.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

When it was full of one Prime, two Seekers, seven femmes, one weapons specialist, one medic and one human femme, Optimus' office was rather crowded, but there was just enough room for them all, particularly when three of the Cybertronian femmes followed the human femme's example and perched themselves on Optimus' desk.

Optimus drew energon for all the Cybertronians present, and Mikaela had a can of cola. The Prime eyed the array in the room and drank from his own cube. The femmes and Ratchet followed suit, Ironhide following a moment later, albeit reluctantly, after receiving hard looks from Ratchet, Optimus, and the blue femme known as Chromia.

Knowing that drinking together was a binding custom of truce on Cybertron, Starscream looked at Skywarp, shrugged, and chugged back half of his cube. It didn't put him in either a better or a worse situation then they were already in, and there was no sense in refusing good energon, for whatever reason it was given. As Skywarp and Mikaela drank from their own containers, some of the tension seemed to drain out of the room now that weapons on both sides were unlikely to be powered back up.

"Now that we are at ceasefire, may I ask why we've been brought here, and when all these turned up?" Starscream asked, indicating the femmes, at least two of whom winked saucily as he ran an appreciative optic over their beautiful faces, slender torsos, and shapely limbs.

"We chose to land somewhat further out than was usual, and keep radio silence at all times to avoid any Decepticons in the area becoming aware of our arrival,'" Elita explained. "We even took our own mechs by surprise." As she and Chromia shared a sly look, Starscream let out a dirty laugh as he imagined just how the attached femmes had likely 'surprised' their mechs.

"Are you aware of the status of "Prime's Owned", and the restrictions that can be placed on those who wish to associate with the individuals in question?" Optimus asked.

"If you mean, do I know that if you choose you can be a greedy slagger and keep all the femmes for yourself, then yes, I do." Starscream replied. Mikaela and even Ironhide joined Optimus and Elita in failing to hide the smiles that Starscream's remark brought to their faces.

"Well, I guess that's one way of looking at it," Optimus said once everybody had straight faceplates again. "This custom evolved on Cybertron when conflict began to break out between different groups, and when some religious views began to see femmes in a negative light. Due to the loss of the AllSpark, such a petty view is now moot, but I feel that the custom is still a valid one, albeit for different reasons."

"Why do you think the Decepticons formed and got involved?" Starscream said in frustration. "The Autobots, particularly the elite, and those in power, refused to share, and this is just another custom that restricts what we can and cannot do! Do you hope to stop us breeding, get rid of us that way? Is that it?"

"Not at all, but even you have to accept that the femmes need to be protected against mechs who do not have their best interests at heart," Optimus said. "I believe this is the third time you have entered our Base with the intent of spiriting Sam away against her wishes?"

"If this meeting is just for you to reiterate your right to keep them all for you and those you favour, and to condemn moves I made out of desperation, then I see no reason to stay here," Starscream said, putting down his container of energon. "Come on, Skywarp, we'll have to find another way."

Before they could move, Optimus spoke up.

"I brought you here because I realise that custom must change to adapt to changed circumstances. This is one of those times, and I have some suggestions to put to you."

Starscream and Skywarp both looked back at Optimus.

"Will you help us to make the custom fair to all while still giving the femmes the protection they need, or will you leave everything up to us?"

Starscream sat back down, Skywarp following suit, and picked up his cube.

"I will hear your suggestions, but be warned, I will speak bluntly and with honesty about what I think of them," he warned.

Optimus gave a grave nod as he looked Starscream directly in the optics.

"Of course. Of you, and of anybody else here, I would expect no less," he said.


	20. Chapter 20

For The Race – Prime Protector.

Chapter Twenty.

"These suggestions mainly come from the femmes themselves," Optimus said. "Anything we agree to must also be agreed to by them. The rules as they stand are that bonded femmes are cared for by their bonded, and I take unbonded ones under my care, in exchange for complete obedience, off duty as well as on."

"But, as you said, that does restrict all the other mechs, and us femmes as well," the green femme interjected. She was sat on the corner of the Prime's desk closest to Starscream, one leg dangling over the edge, the other hooked up and over it.

"Exactly, Moonracer, which is why we are here," Optimus said. "Perhaps we can find a way to adapt the custom so that it is fair to the majority of us all, be we Autobots or Decepticons, mechs or femmes."

"Can I have your assurance that the taboo on forcing will remain a taboo?" This was from an orange-red and white femme who had a broad stripe of metallic blue around her top left arm.

"Yes, Flareup, you are correct, that should be something that remains," Optimus said, looking at Starscream and Skywarp who, wanting to hear more, both nodded.

"How about...if a femme dates a mech, the mech becomes responsible for her safety?" Sam asked.

"That would make sense," Optimus said, "but what worries me is the consequences if we battle. If the mech and the femme are on opposite sides, the mech might be faced with a conflict of loyalties."

"Well, the answer to that seems simple enough to me," Starscream said, not quite believing that Optimus could not see the potential solution that he could. "We call a ceasefire for the duration of any courting."

"What if that courting took vorns? Would you willing to end hostilities for that duration?" Optimus asked, and the look he shot at Starscream was challenging. "And what would protect any resulting sparkling if hostilities resumed? I know nobody here would deliberately target sparklings, but accidents happen."

"Would the Autobots be willing to listen to our grievances and give in to our demands?" asked Starscream.

"As Autobot Leader, I can say that we would listen to your grievances and _consider_ your demands," Optimus said, and continued, as Starscream opened his mouth to make another statement, "especially if they were couched as requests. If we feel they are unworkable or unrealistic, or just too much to expect, we can discuss them, and maybe come to some sort of compromise and understanding. However, there is one thing I must request of you before we even do that."

"What would that be?" asked Starscream.

"Call a ceasefire in your dealings with humans. As our allies, they must be factored in to everything we wish to do on this planet."

"Will they share their resources if we do this?" Starscream asked. Optimus gave a small smile.

"If you were willing to negotiate a truce, or even an alliance, as we have done, and factor in the provision of fuel as part of the deal – but don't demand, that'll annoy them and make the negotiations difficult – then I don't see why they shouldn't, and while the deal is being brokered, we could allow you some of what we have," Optimus said. As Starscream went to speak again, Optimus cut him off. "We are willing to share, but you must remember that it is the humans who provide for our needs here. If we were found to be providing fuel to those they see as enemies, it could give them reason to withdraw the same from us. If you want us to share, you must give something back. Sharing should go both ways. The humans give us fuel in return for alliance. Could you not do the same?"

"Peace with humans?" Starscream asked. "Peace with puny organics?"

"Peace to live your lives without being shot at as you try to steal fuel!" Elita said, jumping to her feet still on Optimus' desk, and looking at Starscream. "Peace to fly without worrying about being targeted by missiles! Peace to live, and court, and love, and peace to have, and rear, sparklings!"

She took advantage of the silence her cry had caused. She spoke again, but this time to everybody.

"I have had the pain of losing sparklings, and one of those was due to the war. I am sick of fighting, sick of having to watch my back at every turn. With the AllSpark gone, our race is in even more risk of extinction, especially if we continue to try and destroy each other. I thought the concern was to save the race, but if you are happy to blow each other up, fine, go ahead, but I am not going to even attempt to bear a single sparkling unless this now-pointless war is over!"

"Pointless?" cried Starscream. "The point is equality with the Autobots, for us all to be treated as equals. We Decepticons had to stand by and watch while Autobot nobles and senators lived in luxury while some of us could barely get enough energon to stay alive, and the things we had to do to get it!" He shuddered. "Seekers down mines, locked away from the sky because they were strong enough to haul ore. Qualified problem solvers and dancers and builders left to scavenge because the work wasn't available, or only available to those from certain areas, certain families, or with certain connections!" He growled. "And you call that pointless?"

"It is now! Elita said, glaring back at him. "Cybertron is destroyed, lifeless, because of the war. The old regime, the senators, the corruption, the nepotism and intrigue are gone with it. We are all on a new planet, with new chances and new lives. Why do we have fuel and you don't? Because we are allied with those who provide it, and you are actively attacking them! You expect them to hand out fuel and resources when you're their enemy?" She stood forwards, her optics never leaving Starscream's. "If you want equality then earn it! Make peace with the humans, then maybe you'll get the equality with us that you desire!"

In the silence that followed her outburst, Skywarp spoke out uncertainly.

"Sparklings? Would we – would I – be able to have a sparkling, with one of you?" His optics darted around the room, lighting briefly on each of the femmes. One of them, a red and white flame-patterned femme, wandered over to him and put her hand on his arm. He jumped slightly, having not expected the contact.

"Why not? I wouldn't deny _you_ my berth." She purred and stroked his arm, as Moonracer eyed Starscream and made suggestive gestures with her hands. Starscream tried to ignore her, focusing on Optimus, but his optics kept being drawn back to Moonracer, particularly when she began crossing and uncrossing her legs as she sat provocatively on the edge of Optimus' desk.

"So...if we have peace talk with you, and with the humans...?" he asked.

"You will be included in my alteration to the Prime's Own rule. A femme can state her willingness to allow a mech to court her, and you are as eligible as any other.

"And if the talks lead to a permanent ceasefire...sparklings?" asked Skywarp. Optimus nodded.

"If the femme is agreeable," he said.

"Okay, if this is gonna be definite, can I put in my choice to _not_ be courted? By anybody?" Sam asked. A few eye ridges shot up in response, but Optimus nodded.

"It _is_ her right," he stated.

"So, you only want to go with Autobots?" Starscream asked, and was surprised when Sam shook her head.

"No, I don't want to go with _anybody_, Autobot _or_ Decepticon, at least not until I've been adequately taught," she explained. "I'm not used to this, any of it, and I just want to get used to the idea and the sensation first." He looked at Starscream and Skywarp, then at Optimus, Ironhide and Ratchet, imploringly. "I'm not stipulating this forever, just until I'm used to the idea, and I know what I'm doing and what's expected of me, how to do things and what I can expect. Maybe then I'll allow dates – and I can probably ignore faction – but I need the time to learn and to adjust."

Starscream realised he had something to offer, and bowed to Sam. Having now got her attention, as she stared at him with wide optics, he spoke.

"If you would accept having more than one teacher, I believe you might find it advantageous to allow me to participate in your teaching, after all when it comes to interface, we Seekers are, I believe humans would call "pass masters" in the subject."

"Hey, wait a minute, you were willing to force me and now you wish me to trust you to teach me?" Sam cried. "Why should I?"

Starscream cringed, then bowed again.

"Now I see what a great mistake, what a bad idea that was and I offer unreserved apologies for the folly of those misguided attempts. I understand if you do not trust me, but I have nothing more to offer you but my word. I promise you that I would only teach what you permit, that if I break my word, you and yours have the right to whatever retribution you see fit." He finished, then his optics brightened.

"Wait! There is something I can offer you. I can mark you as my kin, this will give you my protection and that of my trine, as well as Optimus'. If anyone were to harm you, I would be honour bound to defend you, and to mete out a suitable punishment, and as your surrogate Creator, I would be subject to deactivation if I were to deliberately harm you while under my care."

Sam was not sure what to say to this, but then Optimus spoke.

"Starscream is correct when he tells you that he could teach you about interface. There is little about interface that a Seeker does not know, and much knowledge that is lost to me that he could teach you. He is also sincere when he talks about what benefits his marking you would bring, and what that would require of him if you needed that protection, and if he himself harmed you. If you wish to accept his offer, I would be willing to allow that."

"Well, yeah, okay, but can the teaching be at my own pace?" Sam asked. Starscream nodded solemnly, and reached for Sam's arm. Sam leaned back, alarm in her optics.

"What do you want? I asked at my pace and I'm not ready now," she told him.

"Allow me to put my mark upon you so that others from my faction may see it, and know to let you pass unmolested," Starscream said. Sam allowed the Seeker to take her arm, and he carved a glyph on the outside of her elbow, a thin string of paint curling up from Starscream's claw, the silver beneath gleaming in the glyph's lines.

"Well, now _that's_ settled, who's willing to be courted?" asked Elita. "I am myself, however I want Optimus to have my first sparkling."

"And I want Hidey to have _my_ first," said the stunning blue femme. "He _is_ my bonded."

"Heidi?" Sam asked, getting an image of a seven year old girl with blonde corkscrew curls against the backdrop of the Swiss alps.

"Ironhide" said Mikaela with a giggle "and its spelled H-I-D-E-Y, _Hidey_, not like the girl's name, before you ask," Mikaela said, smothering a giggle.

"Well, I guess we can wait if we have to," Starscream said, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"Oh, I don't know, why wait? _I_ don't have a bonded," said Moonracer.

"Nor I," said the red and white flame patterned femme.

"Are you both asking permission to court the two Seekers, Starscream and Skywarp? You, Moonracer , and you, Firestar?" asked Optimus, and the pair both nodded, Moonracer actually getting up and taking Starscream's hand.

"Then if it is what you both wish, as the Prime, I grant your request and ask you, Starscream, and you, Skywarp, to protect these two femmes to the best of your ability should the need to arise."

"Well, our agreement is based on the assumption that there will be a ceasefire leading to some sort of discussions about peace talks," Moonracer said, looking up at Starscream with wide, hopeful optics.

"Oh, yes, of course," Starscream said. "If you are agreeable, Optimus, I will call a seventy-two hour ceasefire, effective immediately, and start talks about a longer peace tomorrow."

"Then why delay any further?" Moonracer asked. "Come to my room, lovely sleek Seeker, and let's get to know each other, intimately."

"What about Thundercracker?" Starscream asked. "We can't leave him out!"

"Bring him in, I'll give him energon as well," Ratchet said.

"And I'll give him a proper welcome, if I like what I see," the small, purple femme Arcee said.

"Optimus, can you contact your human friends and invite them to the peace talks?" Starscream asked. The Decepticon Leader sent a comm to all the Decepticons ordering a seventy-two-hour ceasefire, a suggestion of great reward if they obeyed it, and the threat of permanent deactivation if they disobeyed. He called Thundercracker to the Autobot base, ordering him to report to Ratchet when he arrived, and then ceased fighting Moonracer's increasingly insistent tugs on his arm, and followed her out of Optimus' room, Skywarp and Firestar following.

As the doors closed behind them, Optimus quietly dismissed the rest of the assembled, and put in a call to Major Lennox and SecDef Keller.

As he waited for them to connect, he opened a comm channel to two of the femmes.

'_Sam, Elita, my room tonight, 2100 hours, in my berth if you please.'_


End file.
